You're the One
by Shadowstalker92
Summary: Sixth months had passed since Adam and Cinder confessed their feelings for one another. And they were happy. But living in a small town, word gets around. To get away from it all, Adam plans a trip for him and Cinder. Once there, it looks like smooth sailing. But with the arrival of an abandoned Lucario, Adam may find himself in more trouble. M for adult scenes. (contains lemon)
1. Ch 1: Planning the Escape

_**Chapter 1: Planning the Escape**_

Adam sighed deeply. He was busy scrolling through information on the internet. It had been just over six months since he and Cinder had declared their love for one another; and apparently word had gotten out. Adam did not deny any of it; because he did love Cinder and she loved him. There weren't any laws against human/Pokémon relations but that still didn't stop the harassers.

Adam's mother stood behind him which surprised him a little at first. His friends were also behind him. There were also a number of people in his situation who were with him in saying that there was nothing wrong. But that still didn't stop many from heckling him where ever he went.

He had to get away for a little. A lot had happened since word had gotten out. He had lost his job.

_"I'm sorry, Adam." His manager said shaking her head. "I really am, but we just can't have all these customers hanging around harassing you and causing trouble."_

He also moved out of his mom's house and got a place of his own so she wouldn't have to deal with the people either. He now stayed in a small two bedroom, one and a half bath apartment. It was a nice setup and had everything he and Cinder needed. It was two floors.

The ground floor consisted of the living room, kitchen, a small closet, and the half bathroom built-in under the stairs to go to the second floor. The second floor held the two bedrooms a small closet on the stair-landing and the full bathroom. They shared the main bedroom of course. Adam turned the second bedroom into a home office.

He got a new job writing short stories and selling them at conventions. The pay was somewhat decent and it was easy work since Adam loved to write. But now, things were starting to get out of hand. To be honest, Adam just wanted to get away from it for a while. And that was how he ended up with his internet search.

He was planning a trip for him and Cinder. A trip so they could get away from all the harassers and hecklers. A trip so they could spend quality time with one another and relax. Cinder did not know about the trip yet. Adam was hoping to keep it a secret until he had everything all together and was sure they would be able to go.

All he knew for sure was that he wanted to take Cinder to Alaska. Since he was a kid, he had wanted to go and with the fact that most of the towns had somewhat small populations; it made it the perfect place for a get-away trip. The main problem was the plane tickets. They cost a lot of money…more money than Adam could spend.

The second problem was finding a place to stay once they got there. IF he did manage to find a reasonable price for their tickets, would he have enough money for a place to stay as well as other expenses? He knew that the trip was going to be costly and that the chance of them actually being able to go was remarkably slim. But he knew that they needed this trip. He sighed again.

Just then, Cinder rapped a knuckle on the door and opened it. Adam quickly closed out of his internet browser leaving only his story up that he had been working on at the time. Cinder walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. He sighed again.

"No," he replied. "I'm just having a bad case of writer's block." He groaned as he stretched in his chair. Cinder placed her paw on Adam's cheek and kissed him softly.

"You really need to take a break." She said. "You have been up here for most of the past four days. Take a break, relax. You're gonna end up running yourself into the ground."

"I don't have time to relax." He said standing up and walking across the room. "I just have too much on my mind…too much that I have to get done."  
He turned and was almost instantly hugged by Cinder. Before he could respond; she kissed him again, this time more passionately. When they parted, she looked at him with big, almost puppy-dog eyes.

"Please, take a break…for me."

"That's not fair." Adam replied. "You know I can't refuse when you make that face." She smiled and gave him another quick kiss.

"I know; why do you think I did it?" she replied with a giggle.

"Fine." Adam said knowing that he couldn't win. "I guess I can take a break." He saved his story and closed his laptop. Together, they made their way downstairs to the living room. Adam sat on the couch and Cinder snuggled up next to him. He aimlessly flipped through the channels hoping to find something good on.

After a few minutes, he stopped on the Discovery channel. He had always loved channels like that. They always had something scientific or something about survival on it. Today, they were having a marathon of some show where these people put tall tales and other questions to the test. It usually involved a good bit of science and they blew something up on pretty much every show.

Adam turned the volume up a little before setting the remote down and sitting back. He wrapped an arm around Cinder and held her close as she lay against him. They watched the show for about two and a half hours. On a commercial, Adam looked down at Cinder. She wasn't paying attention to him, merely watching TV for the moment.

He couldn't help but think of how she might be feeling about all the negative and unwanted attention they had been getting recently. She had told him before that it didn't bother her because she didn't care what people were going to say, that she still loved him. He couldn't help but worry thought. He knew she was good with handling her emotions; hell, he was good about not letting thinks get to him but at times it felt like it was a bit much and getting out of hand. The fact that she was holding on so well for the sake of their relationship was amazing and left Adam astounded.

_"She keeps such a strong face." _Adam thought while he watched her. _"Does she hide what she really feels to keep me for worrying too much about her?"_

Adam suddenly became overwhelmed with emotions. He wrapped his arms around Cinder, and placing a hand on the side of her jaw, turned her face up towards his. He smiled sweetly before locking her in a tender kiss. As they kissed, Cinder pushed Adam until he was lying back. She then positioned herself on top of him, never breaking the kiss.

When they stopped, Adam smiled.

"I love you so much." He said gently.

"I love you, too." She replied before laying her head against his chest, his chin resting atop her head. She listened to the stead thumping of his heart. The sound of it reminded her how full of life he was. For some other reason, it comforted her. It helped her realize that no matter what she went through, Adam would be only a heartbeat away and he would be ready to help her. She smiled to herself before she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. Adam was stuck there. He didn't want to wake Cinder by moving so he just lay there. Eventually, he too fell asleep.

_Adam and Cinder were walking around down town. He looked at her and she looked back at him, both smiling. They were going to be leaving…hopefully to get away from all the bullshit. As they rounded a corner, they were met by a crowd of people with signs._

_ "You aren't wanted here." One guy said._

_ "You're a sick fucking bastard." Another said._

_ The crowd's rants grew more and more bold and hateful with each one that was said. Adam and Cinder ignored them as they tried to get past them. Without warning, there was a jerk at Adam's arm as someone grabbed Cinder and tried to pull her away. Adam snapped. He rushed forward and slammed his fist into the guys face sending him sprawling to the ground. The crowd rushed them._

_ Thinking fast, Adam drew the gun he had tucked away at his waist. Firing one shot into the air, he was able to get the crowd to stop. They all stepped back as he pointed his gun at them. Suddenly, another shot rang out. Adam turned to see the guy he had hit holding a gun. The guy pointed his gun at Adam._

_ A cry tore from Adam's lips as he ran forward. He knocked the man's gun aside and put his to the man's stomach. Before the man could realize what had happened; Adam fire two rounds. The guy fell back coughing and gasping. The crowd scattered, panicked screams and shouts following them. _

_ "Adam…" he heard from behind him. Turning around he saw Cinder standing there. She looked down at her chest as her fur started to turn red. She looked but up at Adam before she started to fall. Adam rushed to catch her._

_ "No…No, no. Cinder?" he said panicked. He held her up with one arm while he placed his other hand tightly over the wound in her chest. With each labored breath, more blood slowly seeped through his fingers._

_ "Adam…" She breathed weakly._

_ "Cinder…I'm so sorry." He cried. "I got you into this mess. It's all my fault!"_

_ "Nope…" she said shaking her head. "You couldn't have known…known this was g-going to h-h-happen." She coughed and wheezed lightly. A thin trail of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. There was a sudden noise behind Adam. The man he had shot had gotten to his feet. With gun in hand, he kicked Adam in the chest sending him backwards. Before Adam could get back up; the main moved above him and fired three times, all three hit Adam in the torso._

_ Adam collapsed and could only lie on the hard ground as a pool of blood began to form around him. His vision flickered and he began to grow cold. He looked at the guy that shot him. The man smiled and revealed he was wearing a bulletproof vest before he turned to Cinder. He bent over and looked at her before he straightened himself and aimed his gun, shooting her twice more._

_ "N…No…" Adam cried weakly as he tried to reach for her. The man sneered as he looked down at Adam before he pointed the gun in his face and fired. Then everything went black._

Adam woke suddenly. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily. On TV, a show about guns was on. Adam turned it off and then dropped the remote because he was shaking so badly. Cinder was not where to be seen. A sudden wave of nausea hit him and he got up and rushed to the bathroom under the stairs. He knelt at the toilet as his stomach heaved. He threw up twice which left him feeling weak. He felt cold and his body trembled. Cinder appeared by his side. She placed a paw on his back and rubbed it gently.

"Adam, are you alright?" she asked.

He tried to reply but before he could, his stomach lurched again and he threw up once more. He sagged and rested his head on his forearm that clung to the toilet seat. Cinder sat next to him and continued to rub his back. With her spare paw, she reached over and flushed the toilet.

After a few minutes, Adam managed to weakly tell her about his nightmare. She hugged him and held him close. They sat there for about an hour before Cinder got up and went to the kitchen. She had been currently working on dinner before Adam awoke.

Adam stumbled into the kitchen. He walked to the fridge. Opening it, he reached into the back and pulled out a can of beer. When he and Cinder first moved into the apartment, one of Adam's older friends had given him a twelve pack and a bottle of wine as a house-warming gift. Adam didn't drink much; Cinder didn't let him. Over the past six months, Adam had only drunk about four of the beers there. When Cinder saw him grab one, she rushed forward and pulled it from his hand and placed it back in the fridge before closing it. She stood between it and Adam, one paw against the fridge, the other holding him back.

"No, Adam." She said. "Drinking will only make you even more sick."

"But…" he started to protest.

"NO." She said in a commanding voice. "Just go lie down and rest. I will come get you when supper is ready."

He stood there staring her down before he finally gave in and walked away, to pissed off at her to respond. He made his way up stairs and into his office. He sat down in his chair and stared off into space. He cursed at himself for getting mad at Cinder. After all, she was only trying to help him.

He opened his laptop and decided to check his messages. A few of them were junk. He had a few from other friends just trying to hit him up and see what was what. Two were reviews people had left on his stories that he had post so others could read. The last message was from an old friend he hadn't seen or heard from in a while.

_"Hey Adam…how have you been lately? I've been pretty much the same. I did get me an awesome job that pays very well. I haven't talked to you in a few years and just wanted to see if you had a Skype account and if you, see if you could call me up of something. We could video chat. Take care of yourself."_

Adam decided to do just that. Looking on Skype, Adam saw that he was online. Adam sent a video call request to him. After a minute, a window popped up with a video image of his friend. Adam turned on his webcam so they could talk.

"Adam…long time no see." His friend replied.

"Jace, how the hell have you been?" he replied.

"Pretty good, what about you? You don't sound too well."

"Ahh, I just woke up from a bad dream. It's all good."

"Well, anyway…what's up?"

Adam filled him in on what had happened over the past few years. He told him about how he had to quit his last job and how he had to deal with all the shit people had given him lately. Like Adam's other friends, Jace was also supportive of his choice he made with Cinder.

"You know me, Adam. I don't judge. In my opinion, as long as you two are happy and not wronging one another; I don't see anything wrong."

"Thanks, man." Adam replied. "That makes me feel better."

Just then, Cinder entered the room.

"Adam, dinner is finished." She said.

"Alright. I will be down in a minute." He replied.

"So this is the lovely Typhlosion you fell for, huh Adam?" Jace said over the monitor.

"Yea, this is Cinder." He replied with a nod. "Cinder, this is an old friend of mine. Me and Jace go way back."

"Oh, hello Jace." She said.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." He replied. "So, are you looking after my boy Adam here? He really needs someone like you."

"I'm trying to." She replied. "It's hard to keep him out of trouble." Jace laughed.

"I know that. There was one time when I had to bail him out of jail because he—"

"Alright, that's enough for now." Adam said cutting him off. "I'll be down stairs in a minute, dear." He added looking at Cinder.

"Okay." She replied. "Just don't take too long." And with that, she left to go back downstairs. Adam sighed and turned back to the monitor.

"She seems nice." Jace said.

"You have no idea." Adam replied.

The two talked a little more. Adam found out more about Jace's job. He was a pilot.

"You're a pilot?" Adam asked.

"Yep." Jace replied with a nod. "I fly goods, cargo, even people up here in Alaska."

"That's cool…no pun intended." Adam replied with a chuckle.

"You know you intended it."

"Okay, maybe a little."

"You and your damn puns…" The two laughed. An idea suddenly came to Adam's mind.

"You said you fly to Alaska right?"

"Well, every once in a while, I have to do an outta state run, but normally it's just from town to town up here, why?"

Adam filled him in on his current situation and how he wanted to get away from everything with Cinder. He told him how he had planned a secret trip to Alaska for the both of them, but he just didn't have the money.

"Yea, I can help you out." Jace replied.

"You can." Adam replied surprised.

"Yea, man." Jace said with the wave of a hand. "Consider it repaying you for that time you saved my ass when we took that trip to the south."

"Damn, I had almost forgotten about that."

"I haven't."

"Well, thanks man. I really appreciate this."

"Don't mention it. So, when do you want me to fly down and get you?"

"How does, two weeks sound? That should give us time to get ready."

"Sounds good time me."

"Alright Jace…I can't thank you enough. We really need this get away trip."

"Yea, it sounds like it."

"Well, you take it easy and I guess I will see you in two weeks."

"Back at you."

The two ended their call. Adam closed his laptop and smiled. He and Cinder would be able to go on their trip now. Feeling better and with a spring in his step, Adam made his way downstairs to enjoy the rest of the evening with Cinder.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: Preparations**_


	2. Ch 2: Preparations

_**Chapter 2: Preparations**_

One week had pasted since Adam got the call from his friend Jace. Adam had spent that week getting ready for his and Cinder's trip. He hadn't told her where they were going, but he did tell her that they were going on "vacation."

"Will you at least give me a hint as to where we are going?" Cinder asked as Adam was busy packing one of his few suitcases he would be bringing.

"Nope, sorry." Adam replied with a little smile. Cinder's fur bristled a little, which showed that she was getting a bit annoyed. Her ear twitched out of her annoyance.

"Are you ever going to tell me?"

"Maybe, when it gets closer I just might. But as for right now…sorry; it is a surprise."

Cinder crossed her arms and walked off. Adam sighed. He knew she would get over it…eventually. But he still didn't like to be walking on eggs especially around Cinder. It was never a good thing to piss off someone who could literally breathe fire. He finished packing the case he was working on and went downstairs to talk to her.

Cinder was standing at the kitchen sink drinking a glass of water. Adam walked up and stopped a few feet behind her.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked. Cinder set her glass down, a little bit harder than Adam had expected her to.

"Not mad…a little annoyed however." She replied curtly.

"I really am sorry." He replied. "It's just that I wanted this trip to be a surprise."

"I know…" she replied. "And I am the one that should be sorry." She turned and faced him. "I don't know why I reacted like that. Maybe all this excessive attention is actually getting to me." Adam stepped up and wrapped his arms around her.

"That is why I am planning this trip." He replied as he rubbed her back slowly. "All this attention is getting to be too much. We need this trip. To just go away and recharge our batteries."

"But I am a fire-type, not an electric-type. I don't run on batteries." She replied. Adam was going to respond but then he noticed she was smiling. He smiled back, glad that she was in a better mood. Cinder wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug-like fashion and gave him a brief kiss. Before she could turn and walk off; Adam pulled her back and returned the kiss. He tenderly placed a hand on her cheek while they kissed and she did likewise.

"How about we order something and not worry about cooking tonight?" Adam asked.

"I'm fine with that." She replied.

Cinder decided to get a shower while Adam called and had pizza delivered. They both had good timing. Cinder got finished with her shower mere minutes before the pizza arrived. Adam paid the deliverer and with a goodbye, closed the door and took the pizza to the kitchen. They both didn't eat a whole lot because they weren't that hungry. After they had cleaned the kitchen, the both of them decided to call it an early night.

Adam removed his shirt, tossing it aside carelessly and stretched out on the bed. Cinder crawled up next to him, resting a paw and her head on his chest. She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back and kissed her.

"I love you, Adam." She said quietly.

"I love you too, Cinder." He replied.

"How much?"

"I think I have a song that might help me explain it." He replied as he reached over and hooked up his iPod to its dock. He quickly scanned through his songs before he found the one he was looking for. Pressing play, he moved back near Cinder and wrapped an arm around her and sang along calmly to the song.

"_And if I could swim, I'd swim out to you in the ocean,_

_Swim out to where you were floating in the dark._

_And if I was blessed, I'd walk on the water you're breathing,_

_To lend you some air for that heaving sunken chest."_

"_'Cause they chose you as the model for their empty little dreams,_

_With your new head and your legs spread like a filthy magazine._

_And they hunt you, and they gut you, and you give in…"_

"_And if I was brave, I'd climb up to you on the mountain,_

_They led you to drink from their fountain, spouting lies._

_And I'd slay the horrible beast they commissioned_

_To steer me away from my mission to your eyes…"_

"_And I'd stand there, like a soldier, with my foot upon his chest,_

_With my grin spread, and my arms out, in my bloodstained Sunday's best,_

_And you'd hold me, and remind you who you are…under their shell..."_

_(chorus)_

"_I'd walk through hell for you, let it burn right through my shoes_

_These soles are useless without you_

_Through hell for you, let the torturing ensue;_

_My soul is useless without you."_

"_And if they send a whirlwind, I'd hug it like a harmless little tree_

_Or an earthquake, I'd calm it, and I'd bring you back to me,_

_And I'd hold you in my weak arms like a first born…"_

"_I'd walk through hell for you, let it burn right through my shoes,_

_these soles are useless without you_

_Through hell for you, let the torturing ensue_

_My soul is useless without you…_

_(through hell for you)_

_(through hell for you)_

_Without you, without you..._

_(through hell for you)_

_Without you._

_(through hell for you)"_

"_Now I've walked through hell for you._

_What's an adventurer to do,_

_But rest these feet at home with you?"_

"Does that tell you how much I love you?" Adam asked with a smile.

"Yes." Cinder replied with a sniff.

She hugged him tightly. It wasn't long before she fell asleep in their warm embrace. Adam on the other hand could not fall asleep. No matter how hard he tried, it appeared that tonight was going to be another one of those sleepless nights. Normally, when Adam couldn't sleep, he would get up and workout, or housework…anything to help him burn off any excess energy he had that was preventing from sleeping. The only problem was that Cinder had fallen asleep practically on top of him and he didn't feel like waking her.

Adam could only lay there restlessly as he listened to the music coming from his iPod. After what seem like four hours; Cinder rolled off of him…mostly. She was still on his outstretched arm.

"_Damn…I really hate these 'gnaw your arm off' moments."_ He said to himself. He slowly and carefully began to work his arm out from under her. Every so often, she would move or make a noise and he would stop, only to wait a few more minutes before he would try again. He finally managed to get free after a good bit of working at it.

Adam quietly got up. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. It was about 1:30 in the morning. The night was clear and cool. It was the perfect time to go for a night run. He hadn't gone on one for a while. It was also the best time for him to practice his urban parkour skills.

He got dressed in his free-running clothes, slipped on his fingerless climbing gloves and running shoes, and slipped on a backpack stuffed with a little padding for if he had to roll over a hard surface. He then made his way downstairs. He stopped to listen if Cinder was awake once he reached the front door. Upon hearing nothing, Adam made his way outside, gently closing the door behind him.

Adam was glad he brought his music with him. It gave him something else to focus on aside from not trying to horrible injure himself with an insane maneuver he was trying to attempt. Also, it seemed that certain songs pumped him up and got him to pull out his best moves.

He started off with a basic jog down the side of the street. He then turned down an alley and broke into a brisk sprint. He was approaching a fence that was about twice as tall as he was. Thinking fast, Adam was able to jump from a low concrete wall onto the top of a big metal dumpster. Without breaking pace, he then ran and jumped at the fence. He was able to grab the top and quickly pull himself up and over it. Dropping down to the ground; Adam rolled as he landed to prevent from severely hurting his ankles.

As he ran down an adjacent ally, he found a fire ladder that took him to the roof of a second story building. He quickly and carefully made his way across the roof, occasionally jumping or vaulting over air conditioning units or vents.

In the back of his mind, Adam couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following. He looked back several times but didn't see anyone. He ran to the end of the building. There was about an 8 foot gap between him and the next building. The next building was roughly 6 feet lower than the one he was on. Adam knew he could make it if he got a running start. Hell, if he made it, he might be able to lose whoever was tailing him.

Making sure to get a good 10 to 12 foot running start; Adam ran full speed at the edge of the building. _Oh God, what the fuck am I doing?_ He thought, but he was going too fast to stop now. Flinging himself forward, he was able to almost long jump across the gap; spanning it by only a few inches to spare. He rolled out of the landing and came to a rest in a kneeling position to catch he breath for a moment.

He got to his feet and started to make his way to the other end of the roof he was on. He had gone only a few feet when he heard someone land heavily behind him. Turning quickly, Adam saw one of the last people he was expecting.

"Cinder?!" he asked incredulously. "What are you doing?"

The fire-type was fitted with a custom made set of parkour gear that consisted of a light weight vest for padding, a pair of her own fingerless climbing gloves, and a pair of specially designed extra flexible running shoes. It was one of the very few outfits that she actually wore. She straightened herself, breathing heavily.

"I can ask you the same question…" she gasped. Adam was tongue tied. "Well…" she added.

"I couldn't sleep." He replied." I thought I would go for a night run to hopefully tire myself out. What are you doing out here?"

"I was trying to figure out what you were up to."

"But you were asleep. I made sure not to wake you."

"I woke up the minute you pulled your arm from under me. I had noticed that you had but on your running gear so I figured I had better follow you to make sure you didn't get hurt."

"I'm fine." Adam protested. "I know what I am doing."

"And what the hell was that?" she asked pointing with her thumb over her shoulder. "Making a jump like that in the low of visibility. What the hell were you thinking? What if you had fallen? You could have been badly hurt and then what? You would end up lying broken in an abandoned alleyway for how long until someone managed to realize that you were here."

"Will you stop treating me like you're my fucking mother." Adam snapped at her. "I'm not a damn kid. I know what the hell I am doing."

"When will you stop thinking about your damn self?" She replied. "Did you ever stop to think how the fuck I would feel if you had gotten badly hurt? How I would feel if you had fallen and died?"

"But I wouldn't have—"

"You don't fucking know that. You just don't. No one knows when their time will be up. Now, sure…you didn't fall…but what if you did? There was no way you were entirely certain that you were going make it. Hell, I know because I wasn't sure I was going to make it."

Adam sighed. He wanted to punch himself for the way he reacted. Cinder was only trying to keep him safe, and here he was being too much of an asshole to notice. He looked down at his feet before responding.

"I…I'm sorry, Cinder. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I'm sorry for being an ass and not noticing that you were protecting me. I'm sorry for…for being too fucking selfish to notice."

Now Cinder felt bad. She never intended for him to put all this blame on himself. She walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Adam…don't beat yourself up like this." She said calmly. "But you are right. Maybe I am too overprotective of you."

"No…you're not." He replied. "You are doing the right thing. I do act stupid at times and I do have a tendency to act without thinking. But you know what? It is nice to know that you will be there to watch over me. You will be there if I need help."

He hugged her tightly and kissed her. She kissed him back. The both of them could feel the tension between them just melt away. They stood there for several minutes before they parted. They stared out over the skyline for a moment before a sudden bright light was shone on them. It was a police spot light mounting on a police car. There was brief feedback before they heard a voice over a megaphone.

"What the heck do you think you are doing up there? Climb down at once or you will be taken into custody."

"Well, now that that's settled, care to finish the run home?" He asked. Cinder nodded with a faint smile before the two of them began to make their way back. Adam put on a song that he thought was perfect for a parkour chase situation. He had gotten it from this animated web series he watched.

_(Chorus)_

"_Falling Toward the Sky_

_Waiting for my…ride."_

"_Insane breakneck pace_

_No brakes full speed ahead on this chase._

_Goons-nippin' at my heels_

_Move my wheels cuz, I'm not tryin' to get killed._

_Ooh- what I'm gonna do?_

_Me and my crew-one false move-we through._

_Stress level high it's a full court press_

_Can't guess wrong the result is death._

_Adrenaline filled like a kid named Ritalin_

_Gotta get away from this bullshit middleman._

_Pushed to the max no time for relax_

_Cuz if we ain't swift we facin' the axe._

_But I ain't tryin' to hear it-float like a spirit_

_Finish line comin', I feel us gettin' near it._

_Can't stop now, yo, we almost there_

_Unaware of what awaits us in the air."_

"_Falling towards the sky_

_waiting for my...ride."_

Adam and Cinder both made a safe jump down onto a landing before jumping down to the ground. They made their way down the side of the rode. Just then, the police car turned the corner, its lights flashing. Once the spot light hit them, the sirens sounded and the car began to speed after them.

"_Landin' safe on the back of the truck_

_Now we ride through the streets talk about good luck._

_Man that was tough, jumping off the building_

_But if we didn't do it then our time was up._

_Never that though I'm just too swift_

_Blessed with a gift that flows from my lips._

_Still represent still talkin' that shit_

_Still hit your chest like a blast from the fifth._

_Ain't no stopping I'm-a keep it poppin'_

_Rollin rocking pure hip-hoppin'._

_Soul like Rakim you know I got plenty_

_I'm a C note, dog, and you're more like a penny._

_Jeff send the text, asked for the best_

_So I stepped right in put flames to the test._

_Burn it down from dusk till dawn_

_Rise form the ash and then I'm gone."_

It seemed like they would never lose the cops. The car was closing in on them. No matter how fast they ran, they could not escape the searchlight.

"Stop running, now!" came over the loudspeaker.

"Quick, this way!" Adam said as he grabbed Cinder by the paw and turned off down a narrow covered path. The cop car was too wide to follow. One of the cops got out and continued to pursue them while one took the car and tried to find a way to cut them off.

"_Falling towards the sky_

_waiting for my...ride."_

They ran as fast as they could. Shouts from the following officer were heard but ignored. They managed to slip down a narrow trail before they took a few other deviations from the main walkway. They were able to lose the cop on foot, but they were not sure where the one in the car was. They stopped on the side of a road to catch their breath. The back door to their apartment was on the other side. Just then, the cop car sped around the corner. Adam and Cinder ducked down behind some roadside trashcans. The car zoomed past them.

"_Falling towards the sky_

_waiting for my...ride."_

They made one final mad dash across the street. They moved quickly along the wall before they ducked inside the back door. Adam closed it and locked it behind them before they both sank down to the floor breathing heavily.

"Let's agree…not…to do that again…" Adam managed to gasp between breaths.

"Agreed." Cinder replied with an exhale.

They drug themselves upstairs where they removed their running gear and collapsed on the bed. Bother of them were still breathing hard. After a minute, Cinder spoke up.

"So, what else do you have planned for today?"

"Nothing really." Adam replied. "Maybe go to the store later this afternoon to get a few final things for our trip, but other than that…I hadn't planned on anything."

"Good…"

The two of them were much too tired for any love making and within minutes; both of them were sound asleep. Outside, the cop car cruised around the block a few times trying to find them. But in the end, it decided to follow suit of its escaped quarry and called it a night.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: Leaving Town**_

_Songs: Say Anything - A Walk Through Hell  
Red vs Blue: Season 9 Soundtrack - Falling Towards the Sky  
_


	3. Ch 3: Leaving Town

_**Chapter 3: Leaving Town**_

For the remaining week before the trip, Adam and Cinder tried to relax and rest up as much as possible. Adam made one last venture to the store to pick up some last minute things that they might need. On the night before they were supposed to meet Jace at the airport, Adam checked that all their bags were packed and ready. When Cinder had seen the thick, warm clothing he had purchased, she had guessed that they were going somewhere that was of a colder climate than what they were.

"You're right." Adam replied when she inquired about where they were going. "It is someplace cold. We're going to Alaska."

"Alaska!?" she asked surprised. Adam nodded. "I've always wanted to go to Alaska." She added giving him a big hug and a kiss.

"Well, to be honest, I have too." He admitted. "So I figured we could both go experience it together."

"Ohhh, thank you!" she replied giving him another kiss.

They both had tried to get some sleep that night, but they both were too excited about their trip. They woke early that morning and after some coffee and a quick breakfast, they loaded up Adam's truck with their luggage and headed to the airport.

Adam's truck was also one of the changes that were made when they moved to their own place. The insurance on Adam's Mustang was just too much. So he traded it in for a 1986 Ford F150. It reminded Adam so much like the truck his dad had when he was just a little boy. It was probably one of the reasons he had gotten it. That and it was cheaper to maintain than his Mustang.

They headed out towards the airport. It was so early; the sun wasn't even up yet. There was hardly any traffic on the roadways. They made good timing and arrived at the airport in about thirty minutes. Cinder waited in the truck while Adam heading inside to meet up with Jace. While he was gone, Cinder aimlessly listened to the radio not really paying much attention to it. A few minutes later, Adam returned with a young black male accompanying him.

Cinder assumed this was Jace. He stood a little taller than Adam, was a little thinner and appeared to be a few years older. He was dressed in a leather flight jacket and a pair of faded jeans. The two were laughing as they approached.

"Wow, I thought you were driving a nice Mustang?" Jace asked looking at the truck. "You never told me you had an old run-down truck."

"Hey, don't knock it until you drove it." Adam replied. "I had to lose the car and get something more affordable. Besides, I think I like this old truck better than I did that high class Mustang."

"I hear ya…sometimes these newer vehicles aren't what they are cracked up to be."

"Ain't that the truth?" The two laughed. Jace then looked at Cinder.

"So I take it that this is Cinder?" he asked extending his hand.

"Yes, and you must be Jace?" she replied shaking his hand.

"The one and only." He replied extending his hands outwards.

"It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise."

"Alright, alright." Adam said interrupting them. "You two can chew the fat later."

"Ease up, man." Jace said with a smile.

"Sorry, I just want to be going."

"No problem."

Jace helped Cinder with their luggage. When Adam inquired about their tickets, Jace just waved his hand and told them to follow him. He led them through the main building out outside. They walked down a covered walkway until they come to a small hanger. Parked in it was his 1979 Cessna 210 Centurion. The small plane was Jace's pride and joy. It was a six-seat, high-performance, retractable-gear single-engine plane. They loaded up Andrew belongings in the rear seats and then made their way to the cockpit. Jace took the pilot's seat while Andrew took the copilot's seat. Cinder took one of the passenger seats that was closer to the front.

Once inside, Jace handed them a pair of aviation headsets. He showed them how to turn them on. He told them that they were not only cutting down on the noise level form the engine, but to also allow them to still talk to each other. Once they were ready, Jace gave them a thumb's up before starting the plane.

The plane seemed to come alive at his touch. The engine rumbled deeply and their seats trembled beneath them. Jace taxied out of the hanger. Once he had gotten the green light from the flight tower, he taxied to their runway.

"Tower Control, Tower Control" Jace said over his headset. "This is flight 491, bound for Alaska. Do we have the all clear for take-off?"

"Tower Control to 491; the winds are low and the skies are clear. You are clear for take-off. Fly safely 491."

"Will do, Tower Control. 491 out."

Jace pushed the throttle up and the plane began to head down the runway, slowly picking up speed. Once they gained enough speed, Jace pulled back gently on the yolk bringing the nose of the plane off the ground. The runway began to shrink at a rather rapid pace. Before long, they leveled off and Jace retraced the landing gear.

"Thank you for flying Kodiak Air; this is your pilot speaking…" Jace said over the headsets. "The skies are clear and it looks like a smooth flight. Hope you all brought something to do cause we won't arrive in Unalakleet for about 10…12 hours tops."

"10 hours?" Cinder asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Jace replied with a nod. "Don't worry. We are stopping half way to refuel and rest. If I could go in a straight shot, it would take roughly 7 to 8 hours. But seeing as you two haven't flown much, I'll let y'all take a break and rest when we refuel."

For the first few hours, the flight was smooth. The weather was clear and there wasn't a lot of turbulence. Cinder actually slept through the first few hours of the flight. Jace and Adam caught up on the recent happenings that one another had been through.

"So, how did you and Cinder meet?" Jace asked.

"About two years ago, while I was coming home from the store, I ran into some trainer that was beating his Typhlosion. I gave him a taste of his own medicine and ended up bringing the Typhlosion back to my place and taking care of her. And that's basically how Cinder ended up with me."

"You always were one of those types to take care of those in need. So anyway, she seems nice. Also, I never met a Pokémon that could talk."

"Yea, it through me off for a bit at first, but it sorta became a common thing. She became more like a good friend than some Pokémon. Turns out, she had stronger feelings for me than being a good friend. At first, it was a little weird. Then I realized that love shouldn't be defined by the way someone is…besides, the way Cinder acted, she seemed more like a human rather than a Pokémon."

"I get where you're coming from. And don't worry about my judgment towards you. Like I said, I don't have a problem…just as long as you two are true to one another."

"Man, if only everyone could see it like you and I do."

They reached Phoenix in good time and stopped to refuel. While they were waiting for them to finish with the plane, they decided to grab a bite to eat. It wasn't long before they were done and ready to take off once again. If they weather held up; they would have a straight shot to Unalakleet.

This time, it was Adam that fell asleep. Cinder and Jace decided to pass the time with a little conversation.

"So, you and Adam go way back?" Cinder asked.

"Yea, I guess you could say that." Jace replied. "We went to school together when we were kids."

"What was he like back then?"

"Pretty much the same…maybe a little more of a trouble maker back then."

"How so?"

"Well, I think he would get mad at me if I told you some of the things he did."

"If he gets mad, I can handle him."

"I'm sure you could." Jace laughed. "Well, when we were kids, were liked to party it up…and Louisiana can be a good place to party, especially around Mardi Gras. Let's just say Adam loved to party. He got drunk on time and ending arrested for being drunk in public."

"Really?" she asked. "I never seen Adam to drink that much. I mean, yea I have seen him drink every once in a while, but never enough to get that drunk."

"Yea, I think it was that night that changed him. He decided to stop with the party life. He ended up putting more of his time in his studies than being the life of the party."

"How long was he in jail?"

"Not long…just over night to allow him to sober up. To be honest, I might have bared some of the blame. I could have tried to stop him from drinking so much."

"Yea, once or twice I've had to put myself between him and a bottle."

"You know…Adam really could use someone like you in his life. You would be that someone to keep him on the straight and narrows; someone to keep his head one and keep him going in the right direction. Keep a good hold on him and don't let him go."

"Thanks, Jace…I don't plan on letting him go. Besides, I'm pretty sure I need him as much as he needs me."

"What was it like before you met Adam…if you don't mind me asking?" Cinder didn't answer at first. She merely looked down for a moment. "I'm sorry; you don't have to tell me."

"No, it's okay." Cinder admitted. "It was rough, I'll tell you that much. My last trainer was rather abusive. He tried to train me for major battle tournaments, but I never really liked to battle that much. My trainer decided that I wasn't worth his time and proceeded to train his other Pokémon. During this time, I ended up learning how to speak; something that my trainer didn't like. He said I was just wasting his time and made him look bad as a trainer. I had had enough of his bull and mouthed off to him and that was when he lost it. He took me out back and proceeded to beat me. That was when Adam saved me. He gave my trainer a little taste of his own medicine and took me as his own Pokémon."

"Wow…I am sorry you had to go through that."

"I thank you, but I don't look at it as something negative anymore. Hell, it was that incident that led Adam to me and I am glad that it turned out that way."

"Everything happens for a reason."

"Exactly. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think that all this happened so I would end up with Adam. He is the best thing that has happened to me. He takes great care of me, will do anything to keep me happy, and I'm pretty sure he would give his own life for me."

With about an hour remaining in the flight, Adam woke up. They talked about past events and things that they were looking forward to. Jace was right about the timing and they landed at the Unalakleet airport just after 4:30 that afternoon. The sun was still bright overhead. Thought the sun was out, the air was a rather chilly 46°. Adam was glad he had bought some warmer clothing before their trip.

"Damn, it's cold here." Adam said as he climbed out the plane. He pulled his gloves in a little tighter. Cinder wrapped her scarf that Adam had gotten her around her neck. Thought it was cold, she was rather comfortable due to the fact she was a fire-type. The fire inside her would keep her warm.

"You get used to it." Jace said as he exited the plane. They loaded up their belongings into Jace's truck and they headed out. Jace informed them more about where they would be staying.

"You are not that far outside of town, but it is far enough where you normally wouldn't get too much company." He explained.

"How far is it?" Adam asked.

"Only about a 10 minute drive north of the town."

"I am a little surprised the sun is still high up overhead." Cinder noted.

"Sun rise is at 8:04 am and sun set is 21:09 pm." Jace stated.

"21:09?"

"Yea. Military time is pretty common up here. 21:09 up here would be 11:09 roughly back where you two are from."

It wasn't long before they pulled up the winding drive way that led to the house. It was a nice cozy looking cabin. Not too far off from is was a nice barn with a large stack of firewood piled beside it.

"Wow, nice place you got here?" Adam said as he climber out of the truck.

"Thanks." Jace said. "When I found out that you two were going to be coming up and staying, I ended up spending about a week making sure the place was all cleaned up, straightened, and ready for you two to ''move in''."

"Well, I really appreciate you doing this." Adam said shaking Jace's hand. "We really needed to get away from things back home."

"Don't mention it." Jace said. "Look, I gotta jet back to the airport. You two go ahead and get settled in. I'll be seeing you later." And after he handed Adam a set of keys, he climbed into his truck and was gone.

Adam and Cinder gathered their things and made their way inside. They found themselves standing in a comfy living room. They took the time to explore their new living quarters. Once done, they put their things away and decided to turn in early. They were remarkable tired due to extreme jet lag.

"Thank you, Adam." She said as she snuggled up next to him. "It will be nice to be able to have some time to ourselves without everyone judging us."

"Yep, but let's not even talk about that." He replied as he wrapped his arms around her. He was greatful for the heat she provided. He gave her a long passionate and tender kiss. "But for now, let's just get some sleep. Tomorrow, we will really get settled in to our new accommodations."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: Settling In**_


	4. Ch 4: Settling In

_**Chapter 4: Settling In**_

Adam slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. It was still dark. He looked at the clock. It read 5:24 am.

_"Sun rise is still about two and a half hours away."_ He said to himself. Adam carefully got up to keep from waking Cinder; who was still sound asleep. He quietly made his way to the kitchen. He was glad he was still wearing his pants because it was rather chilly in the house that morning. Once he got a pot of coffee going, Adam then set out to get a fire going in the fireplace.

There was a small stack of firewood a few feet away from the fireplace. Adam placed a couple of logs in the hearth along with what appeared to be a starter log. After working with a long lighter for a few minutes, he had a cozy little fire going. He placed another log on the fire before checking on the coffee.

Cinder entered the room not much longer after that. She looked around with bleary eyes. Adam was busy pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Morning." He said looking up at her.

"Mornin'." She replied sleepily.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" he asked.

"No right now." She said shaking her head. "Maybe later." To be honest; Cinder wasn't big on drinking coffee. She found it to be rather bitter and left a bad aftertaste. She followed Adam over to the den. He sat down in front of the fireplace and she snuggled up next to him.

Adam sat there for a moment just soaking in the warmth of the fire. He glanced at Cinder. She was sitting there gazing into the fire. She was bathed in a warm glow that cast her in a beauty that he had never seen her in before. He quickly distracted himself with his coffee before his thoughts got him in trouble.

It wasn't long before Cinder, too, found her eyes wandering. She looked up at Adam. He was watching the fire. The light only shone on parts of his face casting the rest in small and mysterious shadows. It also made some of his facial features more prominent and noticeable such as the ridge of his jaw or the curve of the bridge of his nose.

Cinder was almost hypnotized by the glow of the light on his face. If anything, she found herself more turned on by his appearance and it took every fiber in her being to look away before he caught her staring. She snuggled a little closer to him and sighed.

"Is something wrong?" he asked gently.

"Hmm…oh, no. Nothing is wrong. In fact; I couldn't be better." She replied. He wrapped an arm around her and held her against him.

"Why do you say that?"

"No reason in particular." She said with a shrug. "Though, I find it a little odd for some unknown reason that I have always dreamt about this."

"About what?"

"Us…just snuggling in the glow of a warm fire; not a care in the world as to what anyone thought of us."

"Really? How did it end?"

"It's a bit too early for that, don't you think?" She asked in an alluring tone with a light smile.

It took Adam a minute to realize what she meant. Cinder giggled at his laps in thought for she found it rather amusing that he didn't get what she meant sooner.

"Don't worry." She said patting his cheek before getting up and going to the kitchen. "You're just a little slow in the morning."

"You're no Rapidash either." He joked in return getting up and following her.

"Hey!" she said swatting him on the arm. "I can't help that." Adam snickered.

"I'm only teasing, dear." He said. "Anyway…what would you like for breakfast?"

"What do we have?"

"Actually, I haven't checked yet." He replied opening the cupboard. He then went to the fridge to look. "I have everything I need to make pancakes, French toast, omelets…basically just about anything someone could want for breakfast."

"We haven't had French toast in a while." Cinder replied.

"Alright, French toast it is." Adam said gathering the required ingredients he would need. Cinder loved to watch Adam cook. Not only did she learn from watching him cook; but she found it entertaining to watch. The way Adam moved around a kitchen was almost like a new style dance. And the food he made was delicious as well.

Just then, there was a knock on the front door.

"Come in!" Adam shouted.

The door opened up and a bundled up Jace entered the room. He quickly closed the door behind himself.

"Damn, it's a chilly one this morning." He said removing his jacket, scarf, and gloves. "Mmmm…what smells so good?"

"Adam's making French toast." Cinder replied. "Care to join us?"

"I…I couldn't impose." Jace started.

"It's not a problem." Adam replied. "I can make plenty. Why don't you pour yourself a cup of coffee and pull up a chair."

"Thanks." He said doing just that. "So, did you two sleep well?" he asked after taking a sip from his mug.

"I did." Cinder replied.

"It was on and off for me." Adam said as he began plating up the first plate of French toast and handing it to Cinder.

"Yea…to be honest; I wasn't sure if you two would be up yet." Jace said. "I know flying for the first time can really take it out of you."

"Ain't that the truth?" Adam laughed.

"We pretty much fell asleep not long after you left last night." Cinder added.

Adam quickly wiped up two more plates of French toast and took a seat at the table handing one of the plates to Jace who accepted it with a nod. After a few minutes of silent eating, Jace spoke up.

"Did you two have anything planned for today?"

"Other than getting settled in, nothing much that I can think of." Adam replied. "Why?"

"Well, I was going to take the day off and show you two around. But if you wanted to rest in some more I understand."

"Nonsense," Cinder replied with the wave of a paw. "Sight-seeing sounds kinda fun; right Adam?"

"Yea, sure." He replied with a nod. "I'm game."

They continued to eat the remainder of their breakfast, partaking in small-talk on occasion. Once done, Adam took up the dishes and proceeded to clean up.

"What time are we leaving?" Adam asked.

"Well, I still have a few things to do first; and a want to let you two get ready. Let's say in about two hours." Said Jace.

"Alright then." Adam replied. "We will be ready."

They said their goodbyes and then Jace left. Adam and Cinder finished cleaning up and went to sit by the fire for a little while longer. Soon the fire died down and they decided to get ready for Jace to arrive.

Adam made sure to dress warm. He thought it might have snowed overnight but he was thankful to find out that it hadn't. But the ground was still frozen and the air frigid. He wasn't taking any chances and donned two layers of thick clothing as well as a hat and scarf.

Being a fire-type, Cinder had no need for extra warmth for she had her fur. But she still put on a scarf as well as a special pair of footwear to keep her feet from getting frostbite. Once ready, the two of them hung around in the den waiting for Jace. True to his word, Jace arrived on time.

"Before we head into town, I want to show you two some of the things on the property." Jace stated.

"Okay." Both Cinder and Adam replied.

Jace showed them the barn which was much larger than it seemed. The ground floor was set up as a garage. A small pickup was parked there. Jace showed Adam which key belonged to the truck stating that they could use it if they needed to go into town for anything.

The upper floor was a combination of a spare bedroom and a storage area. When Adam asked, Jace admitted that he had planned on making the top floor more homely but ended up using the space as storage instead. Once back outside, Jace led them around the side of the barn. There was a large amount of firewood stacked along the wall. There was also a smaller building built off the side of the barn that contained a four-wheeler and a snowmobile.

"And back that way…" Jace said pointing to what appeared to be a small cavern in the hillside. "That way leads to the hot-springs."

"Hot-springs?" Cinder asked.

"Yea. Apparently there's a fair bit of springs coming up to the surface in a lot of areas around here. Turns out I had a hot-spring in my own back yard."

"That's awesome." Adam said.

"I know right?" Jace replied. "And what's even cooler is that there are these special rocks that contain this awesome mineral. This mineral is luminescent. They line the cave walls in certain area providing just enough light to see."

"Now _that's_ awesome." Adam replied.

"Well, that covers everything around here." Jace concluded. "I guess now it's onto the town."

And with that, they all piled into Jace's truck and headed into town. They spent most of the day sight-seeing. Even thought it was a small town, Unalakleet had a lot to see. The main feature was its airport, which was the center of commerce. Roughly 90% of all goods that arrived to Unalakleet arrived by air travel.

The town had just about everything it would need to keep running. There was even a Pokémon Center. Jace admitted that even though Unalakleet was well off the beaten trail, they did get a surprising number of trainers each year; thought he wasn't sure what it was that brought them from all around the world.

"Maybe it's the seclusion." Adam stated while they sat down for lunch. "Hell, that's why Cinder and I came out here."

"Maybe." Jace agreed "Maybe they come out to enjoy some of the hot-springs. No too long ago, one popped up at the edge of town. Unalakleet's tourism did spike after that."

After they had lunch, they took another hour to finish up touring the town. Then Jace drove them back to the house and dropped them off. They said their goodbyes before Jace drove off. Adam and Cinder made their way inside. They decided to just relax in the den together for a little while.

After some time, Adam noticed that they were low on firewood so he decided to go grab some from the stack by the barn. It took him four trips before he decided that there was enough wood to last them for the next few fires.

"Hey Cinder." Adam said as he dusted his hands. "I was thinking of going to go check out that hot-spring Jace told us about. Care to join me?"

"Sure." She said getting up and stretching.

"Alright, give me a few minutes to get ready." He said before going off to their room. A few minutes later, he returned with a couple of towels and grabbed his jacket. After slipping it on, he headed off to the back door in the kitchen with Cinder following closely. There was a prominent trail worn into the ground from someone walking back and forth over the years. It led from the back door all the way to the cave entrance.

Adam ducked slightly as he entered the cave. It wasn't long before the floor began to gently slope downwards and he was able to stand up straight. The cave turned out to be more amazing than he thought. There were faintly glowing rocks embedded in the walls of the cave lighting their way with a dim light.

As the ventured farther into the cave, it began to open up more and more of the glowing rocks become frequent. It took them roughly 15 minutes before they reached the end of the cave. At the end was the most beautiful hot-springs that either one of them had seen. The main pool was roughly the size of a large swimming pool with a few small pools branching from it.

A large patch of glowing rock was set into the back wall giving off enough light the reveal the entire room in its dim glow. Even the pools themselves seem to be glowing faintly. The entire scene was almost magical. What was even better was that the temperature of the chamber was almost 40° warmer than it was outside. Faint steam curled of the surface of the water.

Adam stripped down to a pair of swim trunks and slowly stepped into the springs. The shallow end was only ankle deep but as he slowly walked deeper, the water rose to his waist. Once at the far side, Adam sat down. The water came up mid-chest to him. He closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Ooh, this is amazing." He said softly.

Cinder soon followed suit and sat down next to him. Since she was a little shorter than Adam, the water rose to the base of her neck.

"This _is_ amazing." She agreed with a sigh.

She snuggled up next to Adam and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her to hold her closer. Like the many times he had done before, he used his free arm to gently turn her face to his before smiling sweetly and kissing her tenderly.

Cinder returned the kiss and placed one paw on his chest, the other on the back of his neck. As the kiss progressed, she somehow ended up sitting in his lap, facing him with a paw on either cheek. Their tongues swirled together like two trails of steam rising from the waters around them.

Eventually their lips parted. Adam sat back so Cinder could rest her head on his chest without having to change the position she was previously in. They remained there for almost a half hour. Adam was unsure if he had dozed off or not but he decided they should head back home when he noticed that his fingers were pruned. The two of them sloshed through the water back to where they had left the towels. While it took Adam several minutes to dry with a towel, Cinder was able to dry-heat her water logged fur in half the time. After Adam was dressed, they made their way home. Once outside the cave, Adam gave a shiver and they quickened their pace to get inside.

"That was nice." Adam admitted.

"Yes, it was." Cinder agreed. "We are going to have to go back often."

"I agree." He said with a smile.

"Do you mind if I cook tonight?"

"No, I don't mind." He replied somewhat shocked. Since she rarely offered to cook, he sometimes forgot that she could.

While Cinder worked on dinner, Adam went into the den. After he got a fire going in the fire place, he sat back on the couch and flipped on the TV. He aimless flipped through the channels hoping to find something on worth watching. He eventually stopped on the local news channel hoping to catch what the weather might be for the week.

It turned out that the next few days would be nice but cold. Then, by the end of the week, they were supposed to get snow. After watching some of the local news for a while longer; Adam made his way into the kitchen to see how dinner was coming along. Turns out that Cinder was making spaghetti. He decided to help her finish up.

While she did the final touches to the dish; Adam set the table and grabbed the bottle of wine that Jace had given him as a sort of house warming gift. He lit a few candles and set them on the table while Cinder brought over the plates. They each took a set and Adam poured them both a glass of wine.

"To us." He said raising his glass.

"To us." She replied, clinking her glass with his.  
Adam to a sip of his wine before taking a bite. He was surprised. He knew that He taught Cinder a little about cooking but he never thought she would be able to make his favorite dish better than he himself could.

"Damn, this is good." He said.

"Thanks." She replied with a smile. "But I can't take all the credit. After all, I learned from you."

The two talked while they continued to enjoy the meal. Once done, Cinder took up the plates while Adam blew out the candles. He then walked up behind Cinder who had just started running water for washing the dishes. Wrapping one arm around her, he reached over and shut the water off before kissing her.

"Don't worry about those." He said softly. "I'll get those in the morning."

"Alright then." She replied giving him a light kiss. "Well, what now?" Adam grabbed the opened bottle of wine with a little smile.

"Let's take this to then den and enjoy the evening."

He walked to the den wand cinder followed him. As she sat on the couch and poured them each another glass, Adam threw another log on the fire and put up the fireplace grill to keep sparks from flying out before he joined her.

As the minutes slipped by, so did the amount of wine they consumed. They talked and laughed merrily enjoying both the good conversation and the good wine.

"And that is how I ended up beating my friend at the prank war." Adam said. Cinder gave a hearty laugh. The light red tint of her face told him that she was drunk but he wasn't one to say anything. He had drunk as much as her.

"You know…" he said. "You never told me how your dream ended."

She smiled at him before pulling him close for a kiss. Adam stopped her long enough to make sure their glasses were out of the way so nothing spilled before letting her proceed. She sat on his lap and pressed him back while she locked her lips with his. Their tongues writhed like oiled Arboks as their inebriated minds pushed them into further intimacy.

Suddenly, Cinder ripped open Adam button-down shirt. Her paws slide their way down his chest as she pressed deeper into the kiss. She then began to fumble with the button of his jeans.

"What are you doing?" he breathed with they parted for a brief moment.

"I thought you wanted to know how my dream ended, silly?" she asked with a lustful look in her eyes. She then began to kiss her way down his chest. Adam's heart rate quickened when her realized that things were heading south…literally.

Cinder looked up and him and smiled as she exposed his hardened cock. She gave him a quick wink before she proceeded with her intentions. She gave his member a tentative lick form base to tip causing Adam to shudder.

She suddenly took him entirely making him gasp. His head slowly sank back as she began to bob her head up and down. Her tongue coiled around his twitching cock as she quickened her pace. Adam moaned lightly as he instinctively placed a hand on her head. For some odd reason, Cinder was greatly turned on by the little noises he was making and quickened herself once again.

"Oh, Cinder…" Adam could only breathe. He was getting close. He knew it wouldn't be much longer. Cinder could tell he was close. She could feel his member throbbing against her tongue. Just then, Adam gave a slight cry as he grabbed her head with both hands.

Cinder gasped lightly as she felt his warm seed splash against the back of her throat. Her senses seemed to almost perk up to this new salty taste. She gave two swallows before turning him loose. She gave him a few more licks before looking up at him.

Adam sat there with his head back, looking at the ceiling and breathing heavily. She smiled before moving her way back up. He looked back at her and it seemed like he was going to say something but then he stopped as if he was lost for words.

"Now," she stated. "Now that that's done, are you ready to see how my dreamed ended?" Adam's eyes shot open and he quickly looked down at her.

"Wha…?" he breathed.

"That was just a warm up to get you ready for what's next." She giggled as Adam gulped. She then pulled him to his feet and towards the bedroom. "Now, we didn't have to get drunk for this next part." She explained. "But it should make things all the more interesting."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: Blizzard!**_


	5. Ch 5: Blizzard!

_**Chapter 5: Blizzard!**_

"Are you two prepared for the snow coming in tonight?" Jace asked Adam as they sat in the den. Cinder was off prepping lunch.

"I think so." Adam replied. "I may need to check out what we have and see whether or not I need to run into town."

"You best not wait too late. They are calling for a major front coming in late tonight. If it hits us directly like they say, we could get three feet of snow, if not more. You could end up snowed in form two or three days up to a week depending on how fast the front moves through and clears out."

"Well then," Adam said somewhat surprised but that bit of information. "Maybe I should get a few things. If you want, you can check what we have. You have been through these situations; you might be able to tell if we need anything else."

"Sure…not a problem."

Just then, Cinder popped into the den.

"Lunch is ready." She chimed in. "You can join us if you want, Jace. I made plenty."

They got up and followed her into the kitchen to find that Cinder had made hamburgers. They were nice and juicy and also had a smoky flavor. Adam had never tasted such a savory burger.

"Wow." He said. "That is on helluva burger."

"Oh, it's nothing special." Cinder said blushing slightly.

"How did you make these?"

"I made them the why you normally do, but I used my fire instead of the stove top."

"I guess that is one way to do it." Jace said. "Though it sounds like it would be tough to do."

"Not really." She replied with a shrug. "All it takes is knowing how to use just enough flame and for how long."

The three of them enjoyed the meal Cinder had made. Adam helped Cinder clean up while Jace took a look to make sure they had enough food and other essentials to ride out the snowstorm.

"What were you two talking about earlier?" Cinder asked Adam.

"He said that we are due to get a good bit of snow later tonight. We could even get snowed in for up to a week. Jace is checking to make sure we have enough food and what not to get through it."

A few minutes later, Jace returned with a small list. They had enough to make it through the storm, but it couldn't hurt to be just a little over-prepared.

"You shouldn't need much." Jace explained. "Mainly candles and batteries; but you may need some extra non-perishables just in case the power goes out. In some cases, people have had their power go out and it stay out for two weeks after the storm had cleared out."

"Okay, that's good." Adam said with a sigh of relief. "What time are we going into town?"

"Like I said, the sooner the better. But it's all up to you when you want to head out."

"I guess we can head out now; are you coming too, Cinder?"

"No thanks." She replied. "I think I will stay and maybe do a few things around the house."

"Alright then…Well, I'm ready if you're ready." He added looking at Jace.

"Be careful out there." Cinder said giving Adam a quick peck on the cheek.

Adam slipped on his jacket and shoes then headed out the door with Jace. They decided to go in Jace's truck and before long; they were on their way to town. A few minutes in, Jace decided to break the silence.

"So, how have you and Cinder settling in?"

"We're doing alright." Adam replied. "I think we are starting to get use to the time change."

"That's good." They remained quiet for a few minutes before Jace spoke up again. "Not that it is any of my business, but is something up with Cinder? She seemed a little out of it today."

"Yea…she hasn't been real happy with herself…well, with either of us, but mainly with herself."

"What happened?"

"Well, a few nights ago, Cinder and I both drank a little more wine then we were intending."

"Ahh…I think I get it now." He said with an odd tone.

"Huh, what…no, it's nothing like that." Adam quickly said. "It's just Cinder doesn't drink that much and when she does; she avoids getting drunk."

"Hmm, was she alright?"

"She was sick the next day…, heh, we both were; but other than that, she was just upset for drinking _that_ much. She still is a little."

"Oh, okay. I didn't know if something was wrong or not."

They arrived in town a few minutes later, both avoiding talking much more about what had transpired that night. Jace pulled up in front of the local store. As they entered, they were greeted by a cheerful woman.

"Nice to see you again, Jace." She chimed. "What brings you in to the store today?"

"Hey, Jane." Jace replied. "Nothing much actually. I was just bringing my friend into town today to pick up a few things to be prepared for tonight's snowstorm." When Jace had mentioned Adam, Jane looked at him with a friendly smile.

"Nice to meet you." She said holding out her hand.

"Likewise." Adam replied shaking her hand.

"My, you have quite the firm grip. You look like someone who can get work done."

"Thanks…I guess." Adam said a little throw off. "I don't mind manual labor; that is true."

"So, what are you in for?"

"Just a few things. I wanted to make sure I was prepared for the storm. I have never been through a "major" snow fall. The most I have ever been through was maybe a foot.

"Well then, if there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." And with that, Jane turned and walked off. Adam and Jace carried on with their shopping.

"Aside from the candles, batteries and extra food; do we need anything else?" Adam asked.

"Not that I can think of." Jace admitted. "I would just make sure that you have plenty of firewood stocked and chopped."

Once they had gotten everything they needed and checked to make sure they had everything; Jace and Adam proceeded to the checkout. Jane, the woman who had greeted them, was there. Once again, she tried to strike up conversation with Adam. To him, it seemed like she was flirting with him.

"So how long are you planning on staying around?" she asked.

"I'm not sure yet." Adam replied with an honest shrug. "A few months at least."

"Well, if you plan on sticking around for some time, you should call me. Though Unalakleet is small, there is still quite a lot to do."

"Look," Adam said bluntly. "Not trying to be rude of anything; you seem nice, but I know what you're doing. And to be honest, I'm not all that interested. Besides, I am already seeing someone."

A look of sudden hurt mixed with anger spread across her face. Jace stood by just in case things escalated.

"Excuse me?" she asked flustered. "I have no clue as to what you are talking about."

"I'm just going to cut to the chase. I know your type. Been with it twice and both times, had my heart torn out. But like I said; I'm not trying to be rude. The main thing is that I am already taken."

"Jane, I know him well." Jace spoke up before she could respond. "As blunt as he may seem; he speaks his mind. Besides, I don't think he is your type."

"Whatever." She said with a huffed sigh. She finished ringing up their items without any further conversation. They paid for the goods and left.

"Sorry about that." Jace said once they were back in the truck and on their way. "Jane can come on a bit strong at times."

"I hated to get like that." Adam admitted. "But she kinda left me no choice."

"Well, it's behind us now…"

Once they got back to the house, they took the supplies inside and put them away. When that way done, they went to check on the wood stack to see how much was there.

"You still have a good amount of wood here." Jace said looking the stack over. "But like I said, it never hurts to be over prepared. I have some felled trees stacked not too far off behind the barn. All we have to do is chop them into small logs and then split them."

"Alright then," Adam said. "let's get started."

The two of them set out to replenish the wood stack by the barn. They made their way back just beyond the tree line behind the barn to the stack of trees that had already been cut down. Most of them ranged from six to ten feet long and about ten inches in diameter.

Jace and Adam would carry these logs to the back of the barn where they would chop them up into foot long pieces with a chainsaw. Once that was done, they would split the logs into useable firewood which they stacked on the pile along the side of the barn.

They spent the next several hours doing this. As they worked, the sky began to grey with clouds indicating the approaching snow. Jace and Adam made their way inside once they were finished. Cinder was waiting for them with a quick bite to eat that she had made. After working hard for as long as they did, they were grateful that she had made something to eat.

Shortly after they had finished their little meal, Jace said his goodbyes and left. Adam decided that he was going to take the time to get clean.

"Do you need in the bathroom?" He asked Cinder. "Because I was about to get in there and take me a quick shower."

"I'm good for now." She replied. "But I could use a good shower as well. Mind if I join you?"

"If you want." Adam replied.

It wasn't very often that they showered together. It seemed like every time that they did, the shower took twice as long as a regular shower would because their minds would wander and push them into actions other than helping one another get clean. But since Adam was tired from chopping wood recently, the shower turned out to be just that.

Adam then brought in some wood to get a small fire going and then he and Cinder snuggled up on the couch for a few hours. Adam was sure they had both dozed off for a short time; he knew that he had.

As it started to get later in the afternoon Adam started getting ideas for dinner. One came to mind and it would be perfect for cold weather. He decided to see what Cinder thought.

"Would you mind if I made dinner tonight?" he asked.

"Not at all." She replied. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking of making a big pot of gumbo."

"Ooh, that sounds like it would be perfect for tonight."

"I know, I was thinking the same thing."

Adam didn't waste any time on getting started with the meal. He had planned on making a big enough pot that could last them for the next couple of days. It would take a few hours to finish so he wanted to get started as soon as he could in order to have it ready on time. The first part of the cooking was one of the most crucial and that was making the roux. Once Adam had done that, he didn't have to watch the pot constantly. He moved back and forth from cuddling on the couch with Cinder to working on getting dinner finished.

"Are you alright?" Cinder asked him, slightly worried as Adam gave a light sigh.

"Yea, I'm fine." He replied. "I'm just a little tired." He was briefly startled when she suddenly placed her paw on his cheek and gave him a gently kiss.

"I love you." She said quietly.

"I love you, too." He replied.

Cinder nuzzled his neck and inhaled deeply before nestling against him. Adam hated to make her move but he had to get up to check on dinner. After stirring the gumbo, he took a moment to stand at the sink and get a quick drink of water. While standing there, something caught his attention as he looked out the window.

"Cinder, come see." He said in an excited tone. "It's starting to snow."

She got up and made her way over to the window to look with him. Sure enough, a light snow had begun to fall. A light dusting had started to accumulate on the ground and trees. They stood there for several minutes just watching the snow drift lazily to the ground.

The gumbo needed to simmer for about twenty minutes so Adam turned the over flame down to low and put a lid on the pot. He then put on some rice in the rice cooker.

"Let's go outside and get a better look at the snow." Adam said as he began to put on his jacket. He and Cinder went out to stand in front of the house to watch the snow. Already, there was a quarter of an inch of snow had accumulated on the ground. He looked up at the clouds which had gotten greyer and thicker since he had last seen them. The feeling on the snow landing gently on his face was a feeling that Adam had never gotten use to due to his lack of experiencing snowy weather.

While Cinder looked up, a large snowflake floated down and landed on her nose. Adam wish he had his camera on him because it was a picture perfect moment. They remained out there for about ten to fifteen minutes before the wind started to pick up lightly. Though they wanted to stay out longer, the temperature was dropping rather quickly and they retreated back inside.

Not much longer after that, the rich cooker dinged signaling them that the rice was done which meant that the gumbo was done also. Adam made up both him and Cinder a bowl. They decided to eat in the den by the glow of the fire. It was one of the best dinners they had ever had.

"Adam, this tastes amazing." Cinder said after taking a few bites.

"Thank you." He replied. "It was a dish that my mom would make. I can't make it as good as she could but it turned out pretty good for being the first time making it on my own."

"Well, I think you did a damn good job. I don't think I have ever tasted anything as good as this."

"If you think it tastes good tonight, wait till tomorrow or the day after once it has had time to set. It tastes even better."

Once they ate their fill, they got to work on cleaning up the kitchen. By now there was about a foot of snow. Adam was surprised as to how much had fallen in just a short time. With their bellies full and the cleaning done, all they felt like doing was sleeping after the long day they had had.

"I think I will go get the bed ready." Cinder stated as she began to make her way towards the bedroom.

"Alight…I'm gonna head out real fast to grab some more wood to keep a small fire going. If we are getting a lot of snow, it will get cold. I don't want to wake up to a cold house in the morning."

"Okay, just be careful."

Adam slipped on his jacket and boots. After grabbing a flashlight, he made his way outside. The snow had really picked up. The wind was gusty and numbing. It wasn't long before Adam could no longer feel his face. The snow wasn't easy to walk in either.

Adam stumbled his way to the barn and grabbed a few pieces of wood and tucked them under his arm. As he began to make his way back to the house, something caught his attention. It looked as if something was out of place in the snow about twenty feet away. But the snow made it hard to make out what it was. So, he began to shuffle his way over to see what it was.

As he neared the mass, he started to notice features. He began to realize that it was something alive. Getting even closer, he was able to confirm it. Adam dropped the bundle of wood and quickly made his way to the figure. Kneeling next to it, he realized it was a Pokémon.

Carefully turning it over, he realized that it was a Lucario. Adam quickly scooped it up into his arms and began to hurry his way back to the house. He was glad that a light was shining in the window else he might have taken twice as long to find it. Adam knocked through the door, he quickly made his way to the den and laid the Lucario on the couch.

"Cinder, get out here!" he called. "I found an injured Pokémon!"

* * *

_**Next Chapter: The Lone Lucario**_


	6. Ch 6: The Lone Lucario

_**Chapter 6: The Lone Lucario**_

"Cinder, get out here!" he called. "I found an injured Pokémon!"

"What's going on?" Cinder asked as she rushed into the room.

"I was out getting the wood when I found this Lucario lying out in the snow."

The Lucario was lying motionless on the couch where Adam had laid it. Its breathing was weak and labored. It had a tattered and worn scarf draped around its neck. Adam quickly turned to Cinder.  
"I need you to get a few things. I need a bowl of cool water and a bowl of warm water as well as a few clean rags."

"Okay." She replied with a nod before rushing off to the kitchen. While she did, Adam took the time to look the Lucario over. He gently lifted one of its eyelids to look at its eyes. The eye shifted around as if the Lucario was in a dreaming state but he wasn't 100% sure. As he held his hand on its forehead, he felt that the Lucario was running a high fever. The rapid eye movement could be due to the fever.

As he continued his examination, Cinder entered the den with the bowls of water. Adam took a one of the rags and soaked in the cool water before draping the damp cloth over the Lucario's forehead.

Adam found that the Lucario was in fair condition, except for possibly being a little bit thinner that an average Lucario. Then he looked over its feet. The feet were cold to the touch almost as if they were frozen. The feet were also a bit swollen and the toe pads were blistered due to walking around on the cold ground for a prolonged time.

Adam took the other rags and dipped them into the warm water and carefully wrapped them around the Lucario's feet in attempt to warm them up.

"How is it?" Cinder asked.

"Hard to tell for sure." Adam said. "And I don't work at a Pokémon Center. But from what I can tell: it has a minor case of frostbite on its feet; it is running a high fever and appears to be somewhat malnourished."

"So what do we do?"

"There isn't much we really can do at this time. The storm is getting worse by the minute; we would never make it in town to the Pokémon Center. We will just have to let it rest and check on its condition in the morning."

"Alright then." Cinder replied before releasing a large yawn.

"You can go back to bed if you want." Adam said. "I'm gonna stay up for a little longer just to be sure the Lucario is alright. After that, I'll come join you."

"Okay," she said quietly, giving him a light kiss. "Goodnight."

"Night." Replied Adam as he watched her return to the bedroom. He remained up for about an hour changing out the rags ever fifteen minutes or so. Eventually, he fell asleep in the recliner. He slept on and off for the next few hours. He came to when Cinder woke him.  
"Hmm…wha..?" Adam said groggily as he looked around with bleary eyes.  
"Did you sleep here in the chair last night?" Cinder asked again.  
"I guess." He replied with a yawn as he stood up to stretch. "I must have dozed off last night."  
"So, how are things now?"  
"I'm not sure yet." He replied moving to check on the Lucario. After a few minutes, he had an answer. "Well, its fever has gone down as the swelling in its feet which is good. Right now, it just needs rest so let's not make too much noise in here."

They moved to the kitchen where they continued their talk.

"So," Cinder said. "Where do things go from here?"

"Like I said, that Lucario needs rest and a good bit of it." Adam explained. "Once it comes too, we will see where things go from there. Maybe we can find out how it ended up in its state to begin with. But enough of that. Anyway, I wonder how much snow we got last night."

He went to the window and looked out. A thick layer of snow swallowed up everything. It appeared to be almost three feet of snow and it was just blanketing everything. There was no way that they would be able to go anywhere for at least three days unless they went on foot.

"Well, looks like we're snowed in." Adam stated.

"Jace _did_ say there was a good chance we would be snowed in." Cinder recalled.

"Looks like I am going to be busy for the next few days."  
"How so?"

"I'm going to have to dig out some of the snow. We will need to get to the stack of wood by the barn. I have no doubt we will need to make a fire later on."

"At least eat something before you get started on that."

"I will." Adam agreed. "In fact, I was just about to get started on breakfast."

While Adam cooked breakfast, Cinder felt compelled to check on their guest. The Lucario was still sound asleep. From what Adam had got from his examination of it; it was doing better than the night before. For some reason, Cinder felt somewhat defensive against the Lucario. But for the time being, she did not know why. She went back to see how breakfast was coming along.

Upon entering the kitchen, Cinder was handed a plate of food from Adam. She thanked him and gave him a quick kiss before taking a seat at the table. After a few minutes, Adam joined her. Together, they enjoyed a nice warm meal to prepare themselves for their venture out into the frigid snow.

Before heading out, Adam check on the Lucario one last time. With a content feeling, Adam slipped on his jacket and boots and headed to the door. As he opened the door, he couldn't help releasing a quick bout of laughter. The snow had piled up half way up the door.

"Looks like I am gonna have a time just getting out the door." Adam chuckled.

"Let me help." Cinder stated.

Before Adam could inquirer her as to what she meant, Cinder had stepped forward, a mane of fire flaring from the back of her neck. Adam had just enough time to move out-of-the-way before she released a stream of fire from her gaping maw. The flames licked the wall of snow, releasing a large amount of steam.

After a minute, Cinder ceased her fiery blast with a quick snap of her jaws. A path had been melted into the wall of snow. A glassy sheen had formed on the walls lining the newly made trench where the recently melting snow had already begun to re-freeze.

"Uh…thanks." Adam said briefly stunned at her powerful display. It was moments like these when he realized just how strong she really was.

"You're welcome." Cinder giggled. "Just holler if you need me." And with that, she returned to the kitchen to tidy up. Adam pulled the door up behind him as he headed out. The path Cinder had melted was about three feet wide and extended roughly eight or nine feet out from the door. He carefully followed the trail, making sure to not slip on the shiny surface of the snow.

He began to really have to watch his footing as he was soon up to his knees in snow. Adam stumbled along as he walked to the shed to get a shovel. It took him several minutes to dig out the snow that had piled up against the door. Since he had used his hands to do it; he had to wait several minutes to regain feeling in them.

Once Adam managed to get the snow shovel, he got started on clearing a path that led from the house to the wood stack. The task took him roughly four hours on account that he stopped frequently to warm his hands. He also decided to clear a trail from the back door to the hot-spring tunnel. Once finished, Adam stowed the shovel away in the shed and made his way back inside.

Cinder was in the process of re-heating the pot of gumbo from the night before. Adam quickly removed his jacket and boots to keep from getting hotter than he already was. He looked over at the Lucario before making his way to the kitchen.

"How bad was it?" Cinder asked.

"Not too bad." He replied as he took a seat at the table. "I was able to clear out a walkway from the front door to the woodpile. I even went ahead and cleared a path from the back door to the cave that leads to the hot springs."

"Ah, that's why you took a little longer than I thought you would."

"There is that, but I did have to stop frequently to take a break and warm up some."

"Well here, this should warm you up some."  
She handed him a warm bowl of gumbo. Adam thanked her before digging in. And thought the warm food did help, he had to pace himself to keep from eating too fast. Cinder decided to eat as well. After they had eaten; Adam went to relax in the den while Cinder cleaned up. He told her not to worry about it, but she stated that she wanted to clean up. So rather than argue, he let her.  
While he kicked back in the recliner, Adam looked over at the sleeping Lucario. He wasn't sure if he was just seeing things, but he would have been sure he saw it stir. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. The Lucario remained motionless save for the steady rise and fall of its chest. Adam shook his head and laid back.

But it wasn't long before movement in his peripheral caught his attention once again. He looked at the Lucario yet another time. This time he sat there and watched it for several minutes. This time it did move. It stirred lightly.  
Adam sat up slowly and watched on. The Lucario stirred again, but this time, it was more prominent. Adam got up and moved a little closer. It moved again. Adam moved a stool nearby and sat down patiently. It wasn't long before the Lucario moved again. It opened its eyes slowly. It rubbed them with its paw before carefully looking around.

"Good, you're awake." Adam said gently. The Lucario's eyes snapped open as it rounded to him. Upon seeing him, its eyes widened and it jumped up with sudden quickness. It backed away from Adam, its paws raised defensively, growling lightly all the while.

"It's alright." Adam said holding up a hand. "You're safe now."

The Lucario's eyes narrowed and it briefly looked around the room; possibly scanning for an escape route. Adam slowly stood up. As he did, the Lucario's gaze snapped back to him. It growled again as it took another step back.

"Cinder, get me a bowl of gumbo." He called to Cinder.

"Alright." She replied. The Lucario's ears twitched in the direction of the new voice and it appeared to be monetarily distracted before it returned its attention to Adam. A few minutes later, Cinder entered the room with a bowl.

"Here you go…" she said, but she fell silent when she saw the Lucario.

"Thank you." Adam said taking the bowl from her. "Now, can you please back off some? I don't want to crowd it." Cinder did as she was told.

"Here" Adam said calmly, holding the bowl out towards the Lucario. "You must be hungry."

The Lucario stepped back, growling lightly. But Adam remained determined. He continued to hold the bowl towards it. Its eyes darted back and forth between Adam and Cinder, and occasionally the bowl of food being offered. Eventually, hunger got the best of it. Just mere moments after the Lucario's stomach gave a low rumble, it carefully edged forward.

When it was closer enough, it snatched the bowl from Adam's hand before moving back. Adam moved the stool back to let it eat without feeling crowded. The Lucario sat on the farthest edge of the couch watching them. It sniffed the bowl of food and reluctantly took a small bite. Seeing as the food was safe to eat, it hungrily dug in and began eating with a ravenous appetite.

"Cinder, can you get a glass of water?" Adam asked quietly. She nodded and walked out the room briefly before returning with the water. Adam slowly moved forward, the Lucario cautiously watching him. He set the glass of water on the table in front of the Lucario before returning to his stool.

The Lucario looked at him then the glass. It slowly set the empty bowl down and took the glass of water. After taking a cautious sip, it began taking larger gulps. While it was distracted, Adam took up the empty bowl and asked Cinder to refill it. The Lucario set the glass down and looked at Adam who was now holding another bowl of gumbo out to it.

"Would you like some more?" he asked gently. The Lucario looked at him and then the bowl. It slowly moved forward and took the bowl from him before retreating back to the couch. It started on the second bowl, but more slowly than it did the first. Once finished, it set the bowl on the table.

Cinder took up the bowl and glass before returning to the kitchen to cleaning them. Adam noticed that even though the Lucario kept an eye on Cinder; it seemed to be more defensive towards him than it was with her. For some reason, Adam had a flashback from how he met Cinder.

_"Maybe it had a rough past with a human, like Cinder." _He thought to himself. _"Maybe that it why it's more cautious of me than it is with Cinder."_

Cinder returned and sat on the arm of the chair next to Adam. The Lucario watched them for a few minutes. No one said a word. Suddenly, Adam heard a voice.

_"Thank you, both of you."_  
Adam looked at Cinder, but she hadn't said anything; though it seemed that she too had heard the voice. His eyes stopped on the Lucario.

"Did you just…" Adam started. The Lucario nodded.

_"Yes. I did just speak."_ It replied. The voice seemed to emanate from within Adam's mind. It appeared that the Lucario could talk through telepathy. It had a soft voice and judging by it, Adam assumed that the Lucario was female.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

_"I am fine, thank you."_ She replied.

"That is good to hear." Cinder said. The Lucario seemed surprised.

_"You can talk?"_ she asked.

"Yep." Cinder replied.

_"Hmm…I haven't encountered many Pokémon that could actually talk."_

"If you don't mind me asking," Adam cut in. "How did you end up in your situation? You were in pretty bad shape when I found you out in the snow last night."

_"It's…uh…it's kind of a long story."_ She replied. Adam could tell that she didn't want to say much but he had to know what happened. He decided to change tactics.

"Well, tells us a little about yourself. Do you have a name?"  
_"R…Rose."_ She replied timidly.

"Rose?" he asked.

_"Yes"_ she replied with a nod.  
"Well, Rose…where are you from?"

_"Uh…well…uuh."  
_"It's okay." Cinder said. "You can tell us."

_"Well…I'm not sure exactly."_

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

_"I kinda left home." _She explained. _"I got lost in the storm last night. I got turned around so much that I honestly couldn't tell you."_

"We can help you find your way back if you like?" Cinder stated.

_"You don't have to do that."_ Rose replied. _"I don't want to be a bother."_

"None sense," said Adam. "We'll help you. It won't be any trouble."

Adam wasn't exactly sure, but it almost seemed that Rose was in no rush to return to where ever she came from. And he found the fact that she implied to only have been walking for about one day to be a tad off also. Her feet showed signs of prolonged exposure. However, he didn't feel like pressing her for information. He decided to let her stay long enough to recover before questioning her. Hell, he may even find out more about her just with her staying a little longer without questioning her.

"But for now, let's not worry about that." He said. "You can stay as long as you need."

"What?" both Rose and Cinder replied.

"You can stay here for a little while." He repeated. "At least until you have recovered."

_"That's awfully nice of you, thanks." _Rose replied. She seemed somewhat relieved by this information; but Cinder, on the other hand, did not seem as thrilled.

"Well, now that that is out-of-the-way; do you mind if I look you over real quick?" Adam asked. "I mainly just want to see how your feet are doing."

_"No…go ahead." _Rose replied shyly. Adam examined her feet carefully. The swelling was almost entirely gone; and with the swelling down, the blisters didn't look as bad as he thought. He gave one of her feet a gentle squeeze and then the other.

_"Ahh."_ She said wincing.

"Sorry." He quickly replied.

_"Oh, it's nothing much."_ She responded. _"I guess my feet are still a bit sore. Anyway, how do they look?"_

"Much better." He stated. "There is almost no sigh of swelling and the blisters and sores aren't major. They should heal up just fine. But I recommend not walking on them too much else you might open up some of those sores."

_"Um…okay."_

"Is something wrong?"

_"N…No. It's just…I…...I have to go to the bathroom."_

"Oh…there is a bathroom down that hall. It's the first door on the left." He replied pointing his finger.

_"Thank you."_ She replied with a light dip of her head before getting up and carefully making her way down the hall. Once they were alone, Cinder spoke up.

"What's on your mind?" she asked. "You seem puzzled."

"It's just that a few things about her story don't add up."

"Like what?"

"Well, look at her feet. The way she says, she had only been walking for about a day; but the condition of her feet suggests at least a week."

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't know yet, but I don't feel like pushing her for answers right now. Let's just let it stand for now and we will see later."

Just then, Rose returned.

_"That meal was delicious. Thank you very much for it."_

"It was nothing." Adam replied. He looked over at the clock and was surprised to see that it was already 3:16. He was caught off by a nudge in his side. He looked over at Cinder.

"Do you think we can head down to the springs?" she asked.

"We could," he replied. "But I don't want to leave Rose by herself." Cinder's ear twitched.

"I guess she can come with us." She replied a little haughtily. Adam ignored her tone and turned to Rose.

"Would you like to come to the hot-springs with us?" he asked.

_"That sounds nice," _she replied. _"But how far are they?"_

"They aren't _that_ far." He replied. "I can carry you if you don't want to strain your feet."

_"O…okay."_

Adam slipped off to the bedroom to slip on some swim trunks under his pants. He also grabbed a few towels before returning to the den. He slipped on his jacket and then the three off them made their way to the back door. Adam crouched so that Rose could climb up on his back. Once they were ready, they headed out.

The trail that Adam had cleared was holding strong and it made it easier to reach the tunnel. Adam paid extra attention to his footing so he wouldn't slip. He didn't want to fall on or hurt Rose if he did.

As they made their way down the tunnel, Cinder looked over at Adam and Rose. The Lucario breathed deeply and closed her eyes before wrapping her arms around Adam's neck almost in a hug. Cinder narrowed her eyes as she glared at Rose for a moment. She looked away.

_"You better watch yourself." _Cinder thought to herself. _"You're messing with fire and you won't want to get burned."_

She didn't notice Rose open her eyes and glare back at her. They made it to the springs with no trouble. Adam stripped down to his swim shorts and quickly entered the springs. By the time he had sat down at the far side, Cinder was already snuggled next to him. After a minute, Rose had sat about a foot on the other side of Adam.

Cinder glance at Rose briefly before snuggling closer to Adam. Now, he could since a little tension so he decided to break the silence.

"Man," he said with a sigh. "After spending the day shoveling snow, this hot water sure feels good on my sore muscles."

"_I know what you mean."_ Rose replied. _"This water feels good on my feet. How did you guys find these springs?"_

"My friend showed them to us." Adam explained. "He is the one who owns this place. He is letting Cinder and I stay here."

_"Wait, you two aren't from here?"_

"Nope." Cinder replied. "We wanted to get away from the small town drama where we lived so Adam arranged a sort of vacation for us. Luckily he had a friend that lived up here."

"_How long have you two known each other?"_

"Well, we have been together for about a year, maybe a little longer."

"_Really and how did you meet?"_ Adam felt Cinder's grip tighten briefly on his arm.

"I found Cinder one day when I was walking home from the store." He explained. "She looked lonely so I asked if she wanted to come with me and she did. And that is how we ended up together." He felt Cinder relax a little next to him. Rose seemed to be eyeing her.

They enjoyed a nice long soak in the springs. Adam eventually decided that it was time to head home. So they dried off and began making their way back. Once home, Adam began re-heating the left over gumbo. While it was heating, He grabbed some extra pillows and blankets and set them on the couch.

"You can use these to sleep here." He told Rose.

"_Okay."_ She replied.

Soon, the food was ready and they all sat down to dinner. After they head eaten their fill, Adam declared it was time for bed and told Cinder that he would get the dishes in the morning. So, after they said their good nights, both he and Cinder retreated to their bedroom.

"What a day it has been." Adam said as he stretched out beneath the covers.

"You've had a long day." Cinder agreed. "Let me make it a little better."

She pressed her mouth against his, her tongue mingling with his. He could feel her paw slowly moving down his front and into his pants.

"Cinder, what are you doing?" he managed to breath. "It's been a long day and I'm tired."

"Too tired for me?" she said in a somewhat sad tone.

"No…never for you." He finally said.

"Good." She said with a satisfied tone. "Then sit back and let me work my magic."

She removed his shirt before locking lips with him yet again. Like before, she moved her paw down his front. Never breaking their kiss, she managed to work his pants off him and his boxers down. She startled over him and gave him a quick wink before lowering herself down onto his member. They both gasped as he entered her.

Placing her paws on his chest; she proceeded to work herself up and down. Adam moaned lightly as he grabbed her hips; thrusting up every time she came down. It wasn't long before they were both panting loudly. They went at it for several minutes before increasing in speed. It wasn't long before Cinder was practically slamming herself down, impaling herself on his hardened member each time.

"Oh…fuck." Adam breathed heavily.

"Yes, Adam." Cinder gasped. "That's it…Don't hold anything back."

With one final go, they reached their peak together. Cinder moaned loudly as she felt his seed shot deep into her. With each spurt, she gasped. Finally, she lay down on his chest, his cock still buried deep within her.

"I love you, Adam." She whispered as she kissed him passionately.

"I love you, too." He replied as he returned the kiss. It wasn't long before they fell asleep, tired and spent, still in one another's loving embrace.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: Every Rose has its Thorns**_


	7. Ch 7: Every Rose has its Thorns

_**Chapter 7: Every Rose has its Thorns**_

The tension around the house was high over the next week and a half. Something was up with Cinder, Adam was sure of it. But he didn't know what it was exactly. All he knew was that she seemed highly amorous lately. It seemed like she was trying to get in his pants every chance she got. He was beginning to wonder if the appearance of Rose had anything to do with it cause it appeared that her lusty activity increased ever since the Lucario's arrival. Adam felt that today was gonna be the same. He was just gonna keep his head down and get through the day.

Adam was sitting on the couch working away on his laptop. He had been working on a story that he had been writing. Lately, he had been procrastinating. But today was different. He had kicked himself in the ass and was going to get some serious work done on it. While he was working, Cinder came up and sat next to him.

"What are you up to?" she asked in an oddly innocent voice.

"I'm working." He replied.

"On..?"

"I'm behind on a story and I am trying to get caught up."

"Oh…how far behind are you?"

"I should have started on the next chapter last week. I really need to kick it into high gear if I want to get my next chapter posted on time."

"Ooh…okay. Where is Rose at?"

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular, just curious."

"I think she is in the bathroom getting cleaned up."

"Ahh."

Adam continued working over the next several minutes. Cinder snuggled up next to him. After another minute or two, she shifted and nudged up against him almost as if she was trying to get his attention. But Adam kept on working. She tried to get his attention again but once more, Adam kept on work. This time, she leaned up against him heavily with a sigh.

"What do you want?" He said suddenly, rather annoyed.

"I just wanted to ask you something." She replied getting up. "You don't have to fuss at me." And with that, she turned and stormed off into the kitchen. Adam sat there for a moment before getting up.

"Fuck." He said with a sigh under his breath as he did. He made his way into the kitchen. He found Cinder standing at the sink staring out the window. Her paws were bracing herself up against the counter. He came up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She sniffed and wiped her face.

"Cinder…" he started. Cinder pulled away from him.

"Why did you yell at me." She asked.

"Cinder…I'm…I'm sorry." He replied. "I didn't mean to fuss at you. It's just that I'm just stressed with trying to get this story done on time and lately…you've been overly clingy and well…just…I'm sorry." Cinder sniffed again and looked up at him. She stepped forward and hugged him; burrowing her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry Adam. I know that I have been a bit more, well, intense with my love towards you but that's just it. I love you, Adam." Adam stroked her cheek softly and smiled.

"And I love you too Cinder." He replied giving her a deep and passionate kiss. "But I can't help but ask you…is there something you want to talk about?"

Cinder was hesitant with her answer. For a second, it seemed like she _was_ in fact about to say something but then she changed her mind at the last moment.

"N-no, there…it's nothing." She replied.

"Well then, what did you want to ask me back in the den?"

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to go to the hot springs with me, but if you're busy, I understand."

Adam knew what she was doing. She was trying to guilt trip him. This wasn't the first time she had used this routine on him. It seemed like she had been doing it more and more lately.

"I would love to go with you…" he replied. Cinder's ears perked up. "But I really need to get some work done first."

"Oh." She replied regaining her sad demeanor. "Okay."

"But don't let me stop you." He replied. "You go ahead. I will head down there as soon as I finish up."

"Really…and how long will that take?"

"Not much longer, I promise. And hey, if you want; when I get there we can fool around a bit if you're in the mood."

"You mean it?"

"Of course." He said wrapping an arm around her mid-section and kissing her again. "We can do anything you want."

"Well then…" she replied with a lusty grin. "I guess I better let you get back to your work so you can finish up. I think I might grab us a few things and get ready before I head down there."

And just like that, Cinder walked off, clearly in a much better mood. Adam shook his head with a sigh before returning to the den to finish up with his work. With the task of getting to Cinder as soon as possible to please her, Adam began putting down pages for his story at an alarming rate. He was so into his work that he didn't even notice when Rose came up and sat next to him.

_"What's up?"_ she asked suddenly making Adam jump lightly.

"Whoa…Rose." He said catching his breath. "I didn't know you were there."

_"Oh, sorry."_ She replied with a light smile. _"I did not mean to alarm you."_

"No, it's okay. So, what's up?"

_"Nothing really. I just thought I'd see what you were up to."_

"Ah, I'm just trying to finish up a little bit of work."

_"Okay…and where is Cinder?"_ she asked glancing around. _"I figured that she would be hanging all over you."_

"Well, to be honest; she was earlier."

_"And where is she now?"_

"She went to the hot-springs. I told her I would meet up with her as soon as I finished up here. And in fact, these last few sentences should do it." Adam saved his work and closed his laptop, setting it aside.

_"So, we're alone?"_ she asked shyly.

"Yea, but not for long." He said getting up. "I don't want to keep Cinder waiting longer than I already have."

_"Wait, Adam."_ Rose said grabbing his hand. _"I needed to talk to you about something."_

"Oookay." He replied before sitting down on the couch. "What's up?"

Rose sat there for a moment, silently staring down at her paws. Adam sat and waited patiently for the Lucario to answer, but it appeared that she wasn't going to speak up.

"Is there somethi—" but he was immediately cut off when Rose placed a paw on the back of his neck and pulled him in close and locked her lips with his. He could only stare wide-eyed as the Lucario pushed her mouth firmly against his. Finally, he managed to find the strength to push her off of him.

"Rose, what are you doing!?" he asked. The Lucario recoiled and flinched.

_"I'm…I'm sorry."_ She replied in a tearful voice. _"I couldn't help myself. Please, don't be angry with me."_

"Wha…wait, no. I'm not mad at you." He replied. Rose rubbed her eye with her paw and sniffed.

_"You…you're not?"_ she asked looking up at him.

"No. it's just that you shocked me. I wasn't expecting you to do something like that."

_"I'm sorry about that."_ She replied.

"Is something wrong?" he asked worried. "You acted as if I was going to hit you."

_"You seemed mad at me. I thought he would surely strike me."_

"No, I would never. Why would you think otherwise?"

_"It's a long story…"_ she stated. _"But I think it's best I finally came clean about my past. You see: I never really left home. It was sort of a mix of my trainer throwing me out and me running away."_

"What for?" Adam interrupted.

_"My trainer wasn't the best of trainers."_ Adam's mind instantly flashed back to Cinder's old trainer. _"He often be-little me and treated me harshly as a Riolu and when I evolved into a Lucario; things only got worse. You see, once I evolved, my trainer…he would no longer just physically abuse me…he…he would."_

"He sexually abused you." Adam finished when she could not bring herself to say those words. She reluctantly nodded.

_"As Pokémon, we are bound to do what are trainers tell us. But I could not find reason as to why he would force himself on me. And if I refused, he would revert to beating me into submission before having his way with me. It was the same thing day in and day out. And it wasn't just me. He treated some of his other Pokémon the same."_

Adam's fist clinched tightly and he ground his teeth furiously. He remained quiet and allowed Rose to finish.

_"It got to the point where I could no longer bare going on day by day. More than once I had contemplated ending my life. My trainer had confronted me once about it saying that if I wasn't happy then I should just leave. I went to do just that but as I went for the door; he grabbed me violently and threw me to the floor. As he came at me I lashed out and struck him. The force of the blow sent him back several feet. I staggered to my feet and rushed out the door leaving him motionless and sprawled out on the floor."_

"And that is how you ended up wandering around on your own?"

_"Yes."_ She replied with a nod. _"I wandered for two weeks, only stopping to eat what food I managed to find. I was just trying to get as far away from that horrible being as I possibly could. But then that snow storm blew in and I got lost. I stumbled blindly through the driving snow but the task would prove to be too much and I collapsed, weak and weary."_

"And that is where I came along and found you?" he stated. She nodded.

_"Yes…and I still cannot thank you enough for taking me in as you did. I don't know how I can ever repay you."_

"No, you don't have to do anything. I was glad to help."

_ "You're so sweet." _She replied lightly giving him a brief hug.

"It's nothing." He replied. "If you want, you can stay here for a while."

_"Really…you would do that for me?"_

"Of course." He replied with a shrug. "It doesn't sound like you have a place to go."

_"Thank you, so much."_ She said hugging him tightly.

"Again…it's nothing." He said hugging her back. "If you don't mind me asking…what prompted you to kiss me like that?"

_"Well…uh…you see….uhh…"_ The Lucario replied releasing him blushing heavily.

"It is alright." Adam said reassuringly. "You can tell me anything."

_"Well…you're the first male that I have…felt comfortable being around...in a long time. You make me feel safe. I must have seen you as a suitable male figure and I guess instincts kind of…took over."_

"Well, I am…glad….that you feel safe around me. Because it is the truth. Like I am with Cinder; I would never let anything bad happen to you." Rose smiled and gave him another hug and he felt compelled to return it. She sighed and nestled deeper into his embrace while he just wanted it to end.

"Please, Rose…I need to be going." He said.

_"Alright…go if you must. But first, I need you to do something for me before you do."_

"And that is?" Adam asked already dreading doing so.

_"Kiss me." _She said lightly as she pulled him closer. _"Please…"_

"I…I, I can't." he replied.

_"Please, just once."_ She pleaded leaning closer and closing her eyes.

"No…I can't."

_"Well then, if you can't than I will."_

She suddenly pushed Adam back on the couch and pinned him down before pressing her mouth to his. Adam tried to move but Rose was much stronger than he assumed and she held him fast in his place. Her tongue began to worm its way into his mouth mingling with his own. Adam mumbled as her tried to push her off, but try as he might, he was unable to. Seeing as it appeared that she wasn't going to let him up until she was done with him; all Adam could do was lay still and let it happen. But soon, Rose pulled back much sooner than her thought.

_"See….that wasn't so bad now was it?"_ She asked as she tried to regain her breath.

"Look, you have to get off of me, and soon…I can't imagine what Cin—"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" someone suddenly shouted.

Adam looked up to see the one being that he hoped would not have walked in on him. Cinder was standing there with her arms crossed. She had a look of hurt on her face that quickly turned to anger when her eyes narrowed on the invading female now on top of her mate.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: Out of the Fire...Into the Inferno  
**_


	8. Ch 8: Out of the Fire, Into the Inferno

_**Chapter 8: Out of the Fire…Into the Inferno**_

"Oh shit…" Adam said quietly to himself as he stared up at Cinder. The Typhlosion was glaring menacingly at the Lucario that was pinning him down on the couch.

"I ASKED WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?" she demanded. Her ear twitched in annoyance and Adam was dreading the fact that fire could be flaming from her collar at any moment.

"Cinder…let me just start by saying—" Adam started.

"Shut up." She snapped. "I want to hear it from her." She said nodding to Rose.

_"Adam and I were just talking."_ The Lucario replied calmly.

"It doesn't look that way."

_"Well I'm sorry if I find Adam to be a suitable male figure."_

"Meaning..?"

_"Why does it matter what I mean? What if I find him attractive? What if I happen to love him? Why should it even matter to you?"_

"Well maybe it does matter to me. Maybe I want to know what you were doing with Adam or maybe what your intentions are with him."

_"Maybe it's none of your business. So why don't you run along now and go bother someone else."_

"What did you say to me?"

_"You heard me."_

In the distractions of the argument, Adam managed to work himself out from under Rose and off the couch. He watched on rather nervous that things were getting intense and that things might very well heat up with Cinder's temper. After all, Rose wasn't making things any better.

_"Why do you care so much about him anyway?"_ Rose asked standing up. _"What interest could he have with a fat ferret like you?"_

"What was that you anorexic looking bitch!?" Cinder roar as fire erupted from her neck.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Adam yelled stepping between them. He held then back with his hands.

"Adam…move…now." Cinder growled.

"No." he said staring her down. "Now that is enough; from both of you. I HAVE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH YOU TWO!"

He grabbed both of them by the wrist and began dragging them off. He pulled them through the kitchen and after kicking it open, out the back door. He drug them along across the backyard. He began to pull them off towards the springs. The two Pokémon that were at each others throats not even five minutes ago were now dead silent as Adam pulled them along through the cave.

"Adam?" Cinder said timidly.

"Don't…say…anything." He replied bluntly.

She shrank back and fell silent. This was the first time she was rather afraid of Adam. She had only seen him truly angry, but it was not directed towards her. She glanced over at Rose. The Lucario seemed equally terrified, if not more. Once they reached the springs, Adam pulled the two of them and stood them in front of him.

"Now…" he started. "I…will not have the two of you…going at one another like this anymore." He was so angry, that he was slightly trembling and could hardly talk normally. "You two are going to stay here, and work some sort of agreement between each other…I don't care if you have to beat the shit out of one another to do it."

"But—" Cinder started.

"NO BUTS!" he yelled. His voice echoed throughout the cave making his voice seem four times louder. "I'M DONE! I AM NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH YOU TWO GOING AT IT IN A FIGHT TO THE DEATH OVER EVERY LITTLE THING!"

He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

"I don't care how long it takes. You two will stay down here until some sort of conclusion is made." And with that he strode past them towards the entrance stopping long enough to throw: "I'll be back in half an hour to see if you've made any headway." over his shoulder.

It wasn't long before Adam disappeared around the bend leaving the two Pokémon alone. They were still shaken but his sudden outburst. They remained quiet as the sound of Adam's footsteps faded away.

"I hope you're happy with yourself." Cinder snapped.

_"Me…what did I do?" _Rose replied crossing her arms.

"This is your fault. I have never had Adam yell at me like that before and probably never would have if you would have just left him well enough alone."

_"What's your problem? You're acting like you two are married or something."_

"Well, we might as well be. We've been together for over a year now."

_"I still don't know what you think he sees in you. All I see is a large weasel with an attitude problem."_

"I'm warning you." Cinder growled giving the Lucario a shove.

_"Oh what?"_ she replied giving Cinder a shove back. _"You think you can take me on. Bitch please; I've dealt with Pokémon five times the size of you…and that's saying something. I doubt you have what it takes to takes to beat me." _

She gave Cinder another shove. This time, she shoved her heard enough to push her to the ground. Suddenly, Cinder's neck erupted with a large burst of fire. Jumping up, she slugged the Lucario as hard as she could. The force of the blow sent Rose tumbling back several feet. She slid to a stop and glared at Cinder. A growl emanated from her throat before she rushed forward.

Cinder stood and braced herself as the Lucario sprinted towards her. She held up her clenched paws and readied herself. Rose suddenly ducked down and caught Cinder off guard with a palm strike to her chest. Before Cinder realized what had happened, Rose then flipped over her and kicked her across the back.

The kick sent Cinder forward on all fours where she slid and turned, releasing a roaring jet of fire from her maw. Rose jumped out-of-the-way, almost getting caught in the torrent of flames. She landed nimbly only to be caught by a hard head-butt and Cinder slammed into her.

Rose was thrown back but flipped herself and kicked off the wall, launching herself at the Typhlosion. Cinder ducked down and dodged the tackle. Rose rolled out of the leap as soon as she hit the ground. The two of them stared each other down, both bruised and breathing heavily. They then both rushed towards each another.

They grappled with one another, trying to gain ground. Without warning, Rose gave a spinning kick that struck Cinder hard in her side. She tumbled across the cave floor for several yards. The Typhlosion got shakily to her feet, wheezing lightly and clutching her side.

Rose charged her yet again jumping in the air and trying to kick her. Cinder was ready this time and grabbed her by the leg. Spinning around, the hurled the Lucario at the wall. She slammed back first into the wall where she slid down it and lay in a heap on the ground.

"Why…why couldn't you…have just stayed where you came…came from?" Cinder panted. Rose slowly got to her feet.

_"B-b-because."_ She wheezed. She suddenly threw what appeared to be a blue sphere of energy at Cinder. Cinder threw up her arms trying to block it but it still struck with devastating force and she was thrown back into the opposite wall. Rose stumbled her way towards the collapsed Typhlosion. _"I didn't have a choice."_ She added.

As rose neared, Cinder suddenly tackled her to the ground where they tumbled violently as they bit and clawed at one another. The force of their roll pulled them apart. They came to a rest, both breathing loudly and painfully. Cinder staggered to her feet.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked. The Lucario stumbled as she got to her feet as well.

_"I mean…I didn't have a choice…I had no other choice b-but to leave."_ She replied.

"How so?"

_"You…you wouldn't understand."_

"Yea..? Try me."

Rose rushed forward and tried to hit Cinder in the chest with another palm strike. As she closed in, her palm began to glow an iridescent blue. Cinder cocked a fiery fist back and countered with a powerful punch. Both attacks hit their marks and the two of them were knocked back.

When the dust cleared, both Pokémon lay on the hard cave floor gasping for air. Cinder managed to stand for a moment before she sagged back against the wall clutching her side. Rose sat up and leaned against the opposing wall grasping her stomach where Cinder's fire punch had hit.

_"You…just wo-wouldn't under…understand…"_ she breathed.

"What do you mean…w-why wouldn't I?"

_"Be…cause…I'm sure Adam has never…never abused you…"_ Cinder just started at Rose. It seemed like she wasn't going to be clear about her answer, but then she continued. _"When I was a Riolu…m-my trainer would beat…beat me. Day…day in and day out. He said…he said it was to toughen me up. And…and wh-when I evolved…it…it got worse."_ Tears began to stream down the Lucario's face. She sniffed before looking directly at Cinder and continuing.

_"Once I be-became a Lucario…he…he would…he raped me."_ She covered her face with her paws and began to cry. After a minute, she sniffed and looked back at Cinder. _"So…so you see…I-I had no choice."_ She sobbed. _"I had to get aw-away from there."_ She hid her face and continued to cry.

Cinder cursed herself for being such a bitch. She found her eyes moist as she eyed Rose. With a grunt, Cinder pushed herself up off the wall and stumbled over to her. She sagged against the wall next to the sobbing Lucario and slid down it sitting next to her. After a minute, she spoke.

"You're…you're right." She said calmly. "Adam never has abused me…but I know how you feel." Rose sniffed and looked over at Cinder. She was shocked to see a tear rolling down her cheek. "You see, Adam isn't my original trainer. My original trainer…well, let's just say he was an asshole. He never really cared for me. He preferred to train with his other Pokémon, but not me."

"In my spare time, I ended up teaching myself how to speak; something that really pissed him off. He always fussed at me for it. One day, he barged into his room and found me reading. He ripped the book away from me and started yelling at me. I told him that it was his fault…that he never trained with me so that this was all I was really good for. That's when he told me that I might be good for something else." More tears began to spill down her face as she continued.

"He grabbed me violently and slapped me around before throwing me onto his bed. That's…that's when he…he…..." She fell silent. Rose placed a comforting paw on her shoulder.

_"You don't have to say it."_ She replied. Cinder sniffed and wiped her face before continuing.

"Once he was finished, I threatened to tell his sister what he had done to me. That's when he became furious. He grabbed me by the neck and drug my out back where he proceeded to beat me. And that's when Adam entered my life. If he wouldn't have come to my aid then and took me away from my trainer…well…who knows what might have happened to me."

_"I'm…I'm sorry…"_ Rose said softly.

"Why should you be?" Cinder asked. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you. I was the one acting like a bitch."

_"I don't blame you. It probably seemed like I was trying to take Adam from you."_

"It kinda did…" she admitted. "But I think I know what happened. You told him what had happened to you and he was just comforting you. That's when your instincts took over."

_"How did you know…?" _Rose asked somewhat shocked. Cinder just smiled weakly.

"Cause the same thing happened to me. Once I saw Adam's protective and nurturing side…I fell for him. And believe me…I fell hard." The two of them laughed weakly.

_"That's exactly what happened."_ Rose admitted. _"I was talking to Adam and he told me that I could stay with you two for a while since I didn't have anywhere to go. Before I knew it, there I was…kissing him." _

"He said that?"

_"Yea…I'm pretty sure he was going to talk to you about it. And also, just to let you know…Adam wasn't trying to kiss me back or anything. In fact, he seemed like he was trying to get out of the situation. I guess he knew this would have ended up happening and he was just trying to avoid this entire mess."_

"Rose…I just want to say I am sorry. For everything." She looked down a little embarrassed. "I let my emotions get the best of me and I lost it. I should have just listened to you and heard you out as to what happened."

_"It's alright…it was just your instincts to protect you love. It's only natural." _

"Maybe you're right…and by the way, I'm okay with it."

_"With what?"_

"You…ya know…staying with us."

_"Really…you mean it? You're okay with it?"_

"Sure…but we will have to establish some ground rules."

_"Oh, thank you so much."_ Rose replied happily as she gave Cinder a light hug.

"No problem." She replied returning a small hug.

"_Okay…so what are the rules?"_

"Well, for starts…wither he intends to or not…Adam is quite the charmer. He just puts of the vibe that just draws you to him. So, on that note, I guess I would be okay with you kissing him every once in a while. Just don't try to cut in if he and I want to be alone."

"_Wow…really..?"_

"I'm being serious…just like I said…try not to get between us…cause I can't be held accountable for what happens if you do."

"_Well…I'm not sure what to say."_

"Relax…you're part of the family now."

"_Really."_

"Sure…hey, we girls gotta sick together out here. After all, who is gonna keep Adam in check." They both laughed.

"Well, well…look who made nice with one another."

They turned to see Adam standing there with his arms crossed and a light smile on his face. Both Cinder and Rose slowly got to their feet, wobbling a bit as they did.

"Damn…you did a number on each other." He said "So I take it you two are cool now."

"I guess you can say that." Cinder said. Suddenly, she punched Adam hard in the stomach. He doubled over cursing and gasping.

"Cinder…what the hell—" he wheezed but was cut off when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. He gave her a befuddled look when they parted. She just giggled and gave him a hug.

"The punch was for putting us through all that. The kiss was because I love you." She said in his ear. Then she turned and moved off leaving Adam still doubled over, confused. Rose came up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

_"Thank you again for letting me stay." _she said before she too turned and walked off. Adam could only stare, slack-jawed at the two of them as they stumbled away talking and laughing as they went.

"What the hell just happened?" He gasped as he got to his feet and started after them. He could only wonder as he watched them continue. "What did you two agree on?!" he called after them.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: The Unexpected Rule Changer**_


	9. Ch 9: The Unexpected Rule Changer

_**Chapter 9: The Unexpected Rule Changer**_

Ever since Cinder and Rose had worked out their differences, the mood around the house had gotten better. And even though they still bared the bruises from their fight; they were like best friends. Adam was still trying to figure out what they agreed to but when he inquired them about it; the two of them would only giggle and kept him in the dark. Ultimately, he was glad that they weren't trying to kill one another anymore. One week had passed with no hostility.

Over the next couple of days, the snow had finally melted away completely. Once things thawed out; Adam had made his way to lake that was just up the road. He had knocked holes in the ice and dropped down fishing hooks with bait on them. After tying them off, he left them and would check back in on them later. He was hoping to catch a good little haul since he had been craving fish lately.

A total off two weeks had passed since the big fight and it was just another calm day around the house. Adam walked into the living room. Cinder and Rose were sitting on the couch looking at a book. A few days ago, Rose had seen Cinder reading and admitted that she wanted to learn how to read also. So, Cinder agreed to teach her how to as long as Rose upheld her end of their agreement; which Adam still was clueless to the details about.

"Well, I am heading out to the lake." Adam said as he slipped on a light jacket.

"Alright, do you want some company?" Cinder asked.

"No thanks." He replied. "I just need some time to myself."

"Oh…okay. Well, be careful."

"I will. You two have fun."

_"We will."_ Rose replied.

Adam made his way out to the barn where he loaded up the ATV with all the necessary gear he would need. Once everything was set, Adam started the quad up and made his way on down the road. The sun was up, the sky clear. It looked like today was going to be a beautiful day.

It didn't take him long to reach the lake. Once there, all he had to do was look for the sign he had left. He had tied a ribbon to the ends of the tree branches that he had tied his fishing lines to. He was surprised to find the majority of the water had thawed out. Seeing as it was still rather cold, he would have thought more of the water would have remained frozen.

He rode up to the tree her had tied his lines off to and carefully checked each one. Most of the lines held nothing; their hooks stripped of the bait left on them. Two of them held small fish; neither large enough to make a meal of, so he let them go. The last hook held the remains of a bigger fish, wish showed something larger had come across the hooked fish and found it to be a free and easy meal.

"Judging by this last line, it proves that there are larger fish out here." Adam said to himself. He decided to do a bit of modern fishing with a rod rather than to tie the lines off to an anchor like before. He knew that the lake was known for the large number of trout it held, so after choosing the right bait, Adam felt confident that he would hopefully have enough fish in no time. So, after casting his line out, he kicked back and waited.

Cinder sat on the couch and started off while her mind wandered. Rose sat nearby, her nose buried in a book. Cinder was surprised as to how fast Rose had picked up on the reading. She thought that it would have taken at least a week but she was proven wrong. It had only been about four hours and Rose was reading with little to no trouble at all.

An odd sensation suddenly caught Cinder's attention. It was deep down, near the pit of her stomach. Placing a paw on her belly, she began to notice the all too familiar signs. It was that time for her and once again she was going into heat.

_I was wondering when this was gonna pop up._ She thought to herself. Aside from the odd sensation or the increase of her internal body temperature, Cinder didn't normally mind it. She had never found Adam to be more passionate yet more ravenous with his love-making than when she was in heat. It was like something inside him had unlocked and his inner wild side boiled to the surface.

There was one thing she hated about this time and that was when she got her urges and Adam was not around. She would often find herself trembling and wet, just waiting for that moment when he returned and would calm the blaze inside her. Her stomach twinged just at the thought of his "bestial" side. She tried her best to keep her thoughts under control but her natural instincts were not going to let her off so easily. The more she tried to ignore it, the more her heat seemed to almost flare up. Soon, it became too much.

"I'll be right back." She said lightly to Rose before getting up and leaving the room.

_"Oh, o…kay."_ The Lucario replied.

Cinder made her way through her and Adam's room and to their bathroom. She pushed the door up behind her as she did. It was another drawback from going into heat. With Adam around, it wasn't too bad. But when he was gone and her urges became too much for her to bear, she had no choice than to rely on self-pleasure to provide some sort of relief no matter how little.

She exhaled as she slowly slid her paw down her front towards her slightly swollen and moist sex. She shivered as her claw lightly brushed the sensitive flesh. With a sigh, she realized that there was no getting around it; she was going to have to get some relief. Slowly, she began to stroke and rub herself; gasping and moaning ever so lightly. Her knees began to quiver slightly and her gentle stroking drove her on. She couldn't help but let out a whimpered cry as a wayward digit found its way into her damp hole. She was oblivious as her mind was set on obtaining one goal.

Rose sat there reading. She began to wonder were Cinder had gone. She had been gone for a rather long time for what appeared to be just a simple bathroom trip. She set the book down and carefully made her way after Cinder. Upon entering the bedroom, she noticed that the bathroom door was ajar. She though that she heard Cinder crying out and whimpering and she rushed to the door assuming that something bad had happened.

_"Cinder, are you alright!"_ she called out pushing the door opened. She immediately gave a shocked gasp and quickly closed the door. She hurried back to the den blushing heavily and began to read through the book once again. A few minutes later Cinder reentered the room, blushing just as much if not more as the Lucario. The two of them sat in an embarrassed silence for a good moment.

"I'm…so…sorry about that." Cinder spoke out first

_"N-no…it is my fault."_ Rose replied. _"I shouldn't have just barraged in like that."_

They fell into another bout of silence before Cinder buried her face in her paws.

"Ahh…I'm so embarrassed." She mumbled.

_"Don't…don't be."_ Rose replied. _"That is a natural way to relief oneself of certain sudden urges. Hey, if it makes you feel any better; I've done the same thing before."_

"I-I just don't know what came over me." She replied. "I normally have better control over myself. Normally, if Adam was here, it wouldn't be so bad. He would have done something to help and I wouldn't break down and get like that." Rose remained silent before choosing her next words.

_"Well…I-I may not be Adam…but, umm…maybe I can help you."_ She looked down kind of embarrassed as soon as she had said that. Cinder looked up blushing heavily. Did she just hear her correctly?

"Wh-what?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

_"I…uh, I might be able to…to help you out in your…situation."_

"I still don't quite understand."

_"You see…back before I left my horrible trainer… me and his other two female Pokémon often got urges and well, we sort of helped one another out in relieving ourselves of these urges. I guess we trusted each other more than we did with our own trainer."_

"W-why would you do something like that for me?"

_"Well, we're friends aren't we?"_ she asked curiously. _"You've been so nice to me lately and if something is making you uncomfortable, I want to help if possible."_

"I…I understand." Cinder replied. "I'm just not 100% sure about this. I-I…well…I never had any sort of actions with another female. It just seems…odd."

_"I know what you mean. My first time was awkward, I won't lie. But after we realized that we could help one another…we kinda got use to the idea."_

"I still don't know…"

_"Well, just come here."_ She said taking Cinder by the paw and leading her off towards the bathroom. _"I still might be able to provide some sort of relief."_

Cinder had no clue as to what she could say as a rebuttal. She could do nothing else but be pulled along and ask herself if this was actually happening.

Adam reeled in his line and checked it. Something had taken his bait. With a curse and a sigh, he reset his hook and cast it back out. He had already caught three nicely sized trout. After a little while, he felt a tug on his line. He readied himself and kept a close eye on his bobber. After about ten minutes, it bobbed a little. And about a minute or two later…it bobbed once again. Adam stayed ready; waiting for that right moment. Suddenly, the bobber went down and it went down hard.

Adam jerked back on his rod and instantly he knew that the hook had set. The rod jerked violently as his quarry thrashed and struggled, trying its hardest to get free. Adam let the line go out a little before pulling back once again. Whatever he had hooked, it was big and it wasn't going down without putting up on hell of a fight.

At times, Adam found himself at the edge of the lake just barely holding on where at other times he found himself gaining ground. His rod bowed and creaked and at times seemed as if it were about to snap. He was not going to give up though. For well over a half an hour, Adam battled with an unknown beast of the deep. He wasn't sure as to what he hooked but he was beginning to think that it was a normal fish.

Suddenly, something breached the surface for a moment. Adam thought he saw a long slender body. It defiantly wasn't a fish. He began pulling on the line, ever slowly reeling it in. Adam let out a gasp when the hooked creature leapt out of the water. He had somehow managed to snag a nine foot Dratini.

Knowing what he had hooked changed the simple struggle into an all new game. Adam had to get the Dratini ashore and fast in order to remove the hook to keep the creature from hurting itself any more than it was already. He began to put all his strength into getting that Dratini in. The serpentine Pokémon thrashed as it got closer and closer to land. It wasn't going to go any farther than it was so Adam gave a sigh. He knew that ultimately, he was going to have to get into the water.

He kicked off his shoes and grabbed ahold of the line as he carefully stepped into the frigid water. Adam began to wade out towards the struggling dragon in order to unhook it. Luckily, it was only in about two feet of water and he was able to reach it relatively easy. As he approached it, the Dratini began to release a wailing cry and it continued to thrash even more. Adam was left with no choice.

Rushing forward, he threw himself onto the writhing Pokémon in order to keep it from thrashing. The Dratini's wails had begun to grow more frantic and fearful. Adam rubbed the side of its neck as he tried his best to soothe it.

"It's alright." He said quietly as he tried to shush the wailing creature. "I'm trying to help." He continued with his soothing hoping that it would actually work. It seemed to have some effect. Though it did not stop entirely; the Dratini stopped trashing and its wails became nothing more that light cries.

As he continued to rub its neck with one hand, Adam slid his hand along the edge of the Pokémon's mouth as he felt for the line. Once he did, he began to work his hand into its mouth. The creature was not happy however and started to struggle and wail again. This time, Adam heard a response call. Looking up, he saw the most beautiful yet terrifying thing.

A Dragonair had heard the Dratini's cry for help and was now moving swiftly towards the commotion to intervene. Now Adam really had to work fast. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a fifteen to twenty-foot long angry mother dragon. Adam blindly felt for the hook.

Following the line with his hand, he came to a stop when he hit something hard and jagged. It was the hook. It was embedded in the bottom of the Dratini's mouth. Moving as swiftly as he could, he began to work the hook around trying to loosen it from the flesh it had snagged.

The Dratini release and agonizing cry which only seemed to enrage the approaching mother. Suddenly, the hook popped free. Laughing, Adam quickly pulled it free of the Dratini's mouth and tossed it aside. There was still one problem. When he pulled the Pokémon in, he had unintentionally beached it on the shallow bottom.

He wrapped his arms around the wriggling mass and heaved with all his might as he began to haul the dragon back into deeper water. As the water began to rise, the Dratini began to squirm more. Finally, Adam was out far enough where he felt comfortable releasing it. When he did, the Dratini instantly took off in a hurry towards the rapidly approaching Dragonair.

As the two met, Adam quickly retreated to the shore to look on. The Dragonair ran its nose along the baby's back after nuzzling it gently. It then looked up at Adam before it began to guide the Dratini away. It wasn't long before the pair of them slipped away beneath the calm waters and disappeared as if they were merely apparitions.

Adam gave a great sigh of relief. That was too close for comfort for him. He thought about calling it quits but he didn't have enough fish for a large dinner so he threw out a few more anchored off lines. Once they were out; Adam flopped back onto the ground and stretched his sore arms and cold legs hoping to dry off some as he lie there. The warm sun seemed to lure him into slumber and his tired body was all too eager to comply.

Cinder was stunned as Rose dragged her along. The Lucario pulled her off to the bathroom and closed the door behind them. She was going to say it but Cinder was still a little nervous and unsure of how things were going. But Rose seemed so sure and confident with what she was doing.

"Umm, Rose." She managed to say. "I'm…I'm still not sure about this."

_"Just relax."_ The Lucario replied with a smile. _"Everything will be just fine."_

"If…if you say so." Cinder replied timidly as she closed her eyes, feeling one of Rose's paws gently sliding its way down her front. She shivered slightly as it brushed lightly against her sensitive sex. Soon, Rose was softly stroking her and Cinder couldn't help but release light moans.

_"See, it's not so bad."_ Rose said as she pressed a digit past Cinder's wet lips, making her whimper. _"Just relax."_

Cinder's moans became louder as Rose's finger began to work deeper into her. As Rose hit a particularly sensitive region; Cinder was unable to contain herself anymore and cried out. She was shocked when the Lucario silenced her by pressing her mouth against her own. Cinder was thrown off and tried to pull back but Rose had wrapped her free arm around her.

_"Don't fight it."_ She said gently. _"It is better if you don't."_

Lost in the pleasure she was receiving, Cinder's instincts took over and drove her on into continuing with reaching what she desperately needed. She responded by wrapping her arms around Rose and returning the kiss with lustful vigor. She moaned into Rose's mouth as the Lucario continued to work her fingers deeper and at times, their tongues couldn't help but dance together.

"Don't…don't stop…" Cinder breathed as she grew closer to her limit.

_"Don't hold back."_ She replied and she increased the speed at which she worked her paw. Cinder moaned even louder as she knew that at any moment, she would be pushed over the edge of release. With one final thrust, Rose's finger hit its mark. Cinder's walls clamped around it as she cried out loudly and released a burst of her juices in a quick spurt.

Adam woke with a gasp. He was breathing a bit harder than normal and he found himself blushing. He had just had the strangest dream. It involved Cinder and Rose and the bulge in his pants seemed to agree with his brain that the dream seemed like he was there and it was all too real. He made his way to the lake and splashed the cold water on his face hoping it would cool him down.

"Well…" he said with a sigh. "That was intense. I have no clue as to what brought that into my head." To try to calm himself and bring his arousal down, he busied himself by checking his lines. He was glad to find that he had caught more fish. They had more than enough fish for a big dinner

Eager to get home and in to warmer and drier clothes; Adam packed up his gear as well as the fresh fish he had just caught and strapped it all down onto the ATV. It wasn't long before he was heading home. He sighed in relief when the house came into view. He parked the four-wheeler in the barn and made his way inside.

"I'm back." He side as he entered the door. Rose was reading on the couch.

_"Welcome back."_ She said looking over the top of the book.

"Hey…" he replied looking around. "Where is Cinder?" Just about as soon as the words left his mouth, Cinder entered the room from the kitchen.

"Hey, Adam." She said giving him a rather tight hug. "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad to be back." He replied with a chuckle. A familiar scent caught his attention. It was a sharp, musky smell that reminded him of spiced apples. It took a second for it to requester in his mind that the scent was coming from Cinder.

_ Hmm…_ he thought to himself. _She must have gone into heat recently._

"Did you get any fish?" she asked pulling him to his senses.

"Huh, oh yea, I got a good haul." He responded with a nod. "They are out in the barn. I haven't cleaned them yet but I will tell you that we will be eating good tonight."

"Well, that's good." Cinder replied with a cheery smile. "I guess I better go finish tidying up in the kitchen then while you go prep the fish." She turned are returned to the kitchen leaving Adam there scratching his head. With a sigh, he turned and almost ran into Rose who was now standing behind him.

"Gah!" he exclaimed jumping back. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Rose."

_"Sorry, I didn't mean to."_ She replied. She gave him a brief hug. _"So, what all did you manage to catch?"_

"I caught about eight nice sized trout." He said showing a rough length with his hands. "We should have enough fish for at least two good meals."

_"Do you mind if I watch you while you clean them?"_

"No…if you want to, feel free." He then turned and called out towards the kitchen. "Cinder, I'm going out to clean the fish!"

"Alright…be careful!" she replied.

Adam made his way out to the barn with Rose following in toe. He laid out the fish before digging through his gear for his fishing knife. He then proceeded to clean, skin, and fillet the fish while Rose sat and watched on.

"Hey, Rose…" Adam said after about the fourth fish. "Is something up with Cinder?"

_"Not that I know of."_ The Lucario replied. _"Why do you ask?"_

"I don't know." He said with a shrug. "And maybe it's just me but she has been acting a little different lately."

_"You would know her better than me."_

"Yea, I know…but she hasn't talked to you about anything. Said that something was bothering her or something?"

_"No, not really."_

"Oh, okay."

While Adam kept cleaning the fish, he kept picking up on an odd smell, and it wasn't the fish. It was a strong musky smell like Cinder except this one had a rather sweet smell than a spicy one. He eventually pin pointed that the smell was coming from Rose.

_Great…is she in heat also?_ He thought. _Things are going to get crazy around here soon. Cinder can sometimes be a handful when she is in the mood but how am I going to deal with two horny females that are both trying to get at me?  
_

* * *

_**Next Chapter: The Tough Decisions of Life**  
_


	10. Ch 10: The Tough Decisions of Life

_**Chapter 10: The Tough Decisions of Life**_

Adam woke up the next day and it appeared that it was going to be another one of those regular days. He was shocked when he found out that he had slept till 10:30am. He normally woke up at like 5 or 6. The fact that he slept in for an extra five hours surprised him. He got up and yawned expansively before he shuffled out the room.

Rose was lying back on the couch reading one of his novels. She looked up and smiled at him when he entered the room.

_"Good morning, Sleepy-head."_ She said in a joking manner.

"Morning." He replied with another yawn. "What time did you get up?"

_"Oh, I got up not long after Cinder did. I think that was around 5:30 this morning or somewhere around there."_

Just then, cinder walked in from the kitchen. She was wearing her apron that she normally wore when she was cooking.

"Well, look who is finally awake." She said with a little smile.

"Yea, yea…" he replied with a wave of his hand. "Good morning to you too. Why didn't you wake me this morning?"

"You looked so tired…"she explained. "I thought that I would just let you sleep in this morning. You've done a lot lately and you really needed the rest."

"I guess you're right."

"Anyway, come into the kitchen. I was just starting to make you some breakfast."

She turned with a swish of her apron and walked back into the kitchen. Adam followed her as his stomach gave a hungry gurgle. He sat at the table and aimlessly scanned through the newspaper. A few minutes later, Cinder set a plate of food in front of him.

"Enjoy." She said before turning to clean up. Adam set the paper aside and dug in. He was a lot hungrier than he thought he was. It wasn't long before his plate was spotless. Almost instantly, Cinder gathered up his dishes.

"Is something up?" Adam asked. He had never really seen Cinder focus so intently on cleaning unless something was going on.

"What do you mean?" she asked as if she was trying to play something off. Adam walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, slowly stroking her chest with his hand.

"Does it have something to deal with you being in heat?" She looked up at him.

"Wh-…how did you…?" She stammered.

"I could tell by your scent." He replied. She looked down a little embarrassed.

"Hey…" he said as he turned her face to his and kissed her passionately. "If you want, after I get back from going into town, we can go down to the hot springs and have some alone time."

"Alright." She replied softly as she gently kissed him back.

"Do you need anything from town while I'm out?"

"Actually, we do need a few things." She replied. "Let me make a list real fast of what we need."

A few minutes later, Adam was on his way into town. He had to make a few stops, but he was hoping to be no more than just a couple of hours. Cinder and Rose stayed home for their own reasons. Rose decided to take an early shower while Cinder caught up on her reading.

After a little while, Rose was cleaned up. By that time, Cinder had felt that she had made headway with her book and decided to take a break from reading. She set her book aside and tried her best to patiently wait for Adam to return. Rose couldn't help be notice that Cinder seemed a bit anxious.

_"Are you okay?"_ she asked.

"Yea, I'm fine." Cinder replied with a nod. "I'm just waiting for Adam to get back. He said he would take me to the springs for a little fun."

_"Ahh…okay."_

"Is something wrong?"

_"No, not really."_

"Well, what's up? You can tell me."

_ "I guess…I guess I'm just curious."_

"Curious about what?" Cinder was starting to feel like getting Rose to talk was like pulling teeth.

_ "Adam…I mean, what is he like?"_

"What is he like..? You've been here for a while…you still haven't figured him out yet?"

_"No, no…not like that."_ The Lucario replied nervously rubbing her arm. _"I mean…what's he like, you know,…as a lover?"_

"Oh…that." Cinder was somewhat confused by Rose's sudden interest. "It's hard to explain. When Adam's in bed…he's like a totally different guy." She explained. "I've never seen him more passionate yet ravenous with his lovemaking. It is almost like he knows exactly what to do to make the moment like just the right length yet once we hit that peak; it's like nothing I have ever experienced."

_ "Really?"_

"Yea, he gets this wild side sometimes and it's almost like he isn't even human. If you don't mind me asking, what the sudden interest?" And that was when things started to come together. Rose's change in scent, how open she was behaving, and her sudden interest in Adam.

"Wait, you're in heat aren't you?"

_"Yea…"_ Rose finally answered. She seemed kinda upset and embarrassed about it. Cinder felt compelled to help her.

"Look, Rose…if you want, I could…I could talk to Adam later. I might be able to see if he…um…can help you out."

_ "Really…wait, I couldn't. I mean, you two are a thing and all. I couldn't just…"_

"Nonsense."

_ "Why would you do that for me?"_

"Well, you helped me through my…situation. I might be able to help you with yours."

_ "You would honestly do this for me?"_

"Of course." Cinder replied with a nod. "We're friends after all. And like I said, you helped me so I wanna help you."

_"Thank you."_ Rose said giving her a hug. _"You know, it's nice to have a friend especially one like you."_

"You're welcome." Cinder said returning the hug. "I'm glad to have a friend like you."

Adam had finished with the shopping and all he had to do was make a few quick stops. He made sure to swing by the post office to pay off some bills and send a package back home to his mom. He also decided to swing by the Pokémart in town. He was hoping to get a few things for Cinder and Rose. Once finished, he began to make his way home.

It wasn't long before the all too familiar scene of the cabin came into view. Adam gathered up his bags and made his way inside. He was instantly met by Cinder who proceeded to help with the bags. After everything was up and away Cinder seemed to make it a point to be ready for when she and Adam went to the springs.

Sure enough, she had everything ready in a matter of minutes. Adam almost thought that she had gotten ready before he had even left town. By the time he was ready, Cinder was already heading out the door.

"We're going to the springs for a little bit." He told Rose. "We shouldn't be gone for too long."

_"Alright, you two have fun."_ She replied retreating to the couch to read some more herself.

Adam gathered up his towels and made his way out the door. Cinder practically grabbed him by the arm and started to pull him off towards the cave. He stumbled along as he tried his best not to trip and fall while Cinder drug him along. Thanks to her enthusiasm, they reached the springs in no time at all.

Adam had little time to get ready upon arrival to the springs before Cinder began pulling at his clothes and started to take them off. He only hoped that she wouldn't rip his clothes to shreds in the process.

"Easy, Cinder." He said as she pulled off his shirt and began to work on his pants.

"You don't know how bad I need this." She replied as she jerked his pants down to his ankles with one quick tug. She then quickly but carefully moved Adam into the springs and into a sitting position.

"Well, someone is rather horny." He teased.

"You have no idea." Cinder replied as she sat in his lap and pressed her mouth against his. She moaned lightly as she began to grind against his hardening member and worked her tongue deep into his mouth.

"So…I take it you don't plan on any foreplay then?" Adam said with a large wolfish grin.

"Do you really need to ask?" She said as she lifted herself up and steadied his cock with a paw. With a quick reassuring kiss, Cinder lowered her body, gasping as Adam's rock-hard member sank to-the-hilt deep within her depths.

He grabbed her waist as Cinder proceeded to ride him in a cowgirl position. As she increased her speed, Cinder's breath began to huff loudly over the splashing of the water each time she came down. After a few minutes of Cinder's steady riding, Adam began to thrust his hips up to meet when she came down in order to maximize pleasure.

His efforts proved to be super effective as Cinder was quickly crying out loudly. Adam started to thrust even faster. Cinder's eyes seemed to almost roll back and her tongue hung limply from her mouth as her body was racked with relentless waves of pleasure that coursed through her being one after another.

"Oh…Ad—am!" She cried out. "Fuck…don't…stop."  
"Don't have…to tell me…twice."

At this point, Cinder was practically ramming her body down forcefully, spearing herself on his throbbing cock. She was on the edge of pure bliss and Cinder knew that it wasn't long before Adam would have her cumming. She also knew that he wasn't going to be lasting much longer either.

With a few more thrusts, Cinder screamed as she came right as Adam did. He continued to slowly thrust into her as his cock spurt more streams of hot seed into her depths. Finally, their tired bodies came to a rest. She laid against his chest, his cock still buried in her, both panting heavily. It took several minutes before either one of them spoke.

"Damn…" Cinder breathed. "That was…amazing. You don't know how bad I needed that."

"I—I think I can guess." He replied as he pointed out the thin trails of blood flowing down his shoulder.

"Sorry."

"Not…not a problem."

Cinder locked lips with him in a passionate embrace, gasping lightly when his cock slipped out of her. She then nuzzled his neck as she wrapped her arms around him. Adam couldn't help but kiss her along her neck. It wasn't long before she spoke up again.

"Adam…I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay," he said. "what's up?"

"It's Rose." She stated hesitantly. "She's uuh…she…"

"She's in heat also?"

"Yea…and well, I… I…um…"

"You..?"

"I kinda told her…that I would talk to you about you…having sex with her."

"You what?"

"I told her that I would talk to you about having sex with her."

"And…what brought this about?"

Cinder fell quiet for a minute. She looked rather embarrassed about what she was about to tell him. Finally, after taking a deep breath, she came clean.

"The other day, when you were out at the lake, my heat was coming on hard and strong. It got to the point that I could no longer wait for you to get home and I had to resort to pleasuring myself. Well, Rose walked in on me and one thing led to another…"

"She ended up helping you get off…"

"How did you know?"

"Well, I would love to say that I guessed, but I may have foreseen that coming."

"What do you mean?"

"While I was out resting out by the lake; I had what I assumed was just an erotic dream about Rose and you. A very real, erotic dream."

"…"

"At the time, I didn't think anything about it. But as time went on, it started to seem to be more than just a dream."

"Yea…anyway…I was so embarrassed about her walking in on me, that she tried to make me feel better claiming that she was just being a good friend and help me with my pleasuring. Well, it seems that her heat hit today and I told her that I would talk to you about it."

"Cinder, I—I don't know about this." He replied with a hesitant enthusiasm.

"Adam…" she said as she sat up and looked him directly in the eyes. "I know this is something that you probably wouldn't do…and I defiantly know that this is something you would never expect me to ask of you…but…she needs you. You're the only one who can help her through her heat. Trying to do things on your own can only get you so far compared to the real deal…trust me, I know."

"I know where you are getting at…" he replied. "I really do…but I'm just not sure I can."

"But Adam—"

"Cinder…I love you." He said earnestly as he looked deeply into her eyes. "Having relations with someone else...to me…it just feels like I am betraying you. And I could never bring myself to do something that could hurt you greatly in any way."

It was then that Cinder saw a side of Adam that she rarely seen. She could see just how much he loved her. The gesture brought tears to her eyes. She hugged him tightly and gave him a long, passionate kiss.  
"Adam, I understand…and I love you more than anything in the world; but Rose…she needs you. You're the only one who can do this…the only one that we would ever feel comfortable with doing this." Adam was going to reply but Cinder continued.

"Adam, I will not be upset if you do this. I want you to do this…for Rose. If you do this…you will not be hurting me. Now, I don't want you to feel like I am forcing you to do this; the choice is still yours to make and yours alone. But like I said, Rose needs you."

He sat there pondering his options. He knew Cinder was right. He _was_ the only one who could do this. But he still felt like he was betraying Cinder, the love of his life. Even thought she was claiming to be okay with this; he still felt like she would still but somewhat hurt if he proceeded and went through with this. He finally collected his thoughts and came to a conclusion.

"I know what you are asking of me and I know what I have to do…but I can't make any promises. I will try to do this…for Rose. After all, she's part of this odd family and we help each other out in any way we can. All I ask is don't hold it against me if my heart decides to make the final decision." Cinder smiled and gave him a hug and a kiss.

"I guess I couldn't ask for a better answer." She replied. "I know this is going to be hard on you…but I know you will make the right choice and do what's right. But before we go…I have just one more question."

"And that is?" he asked.

"Can we go again? I think I'm ready for round two."

"Of course, love." He replied with a smile. "But this time, I am taking the reins."

"Alright…if you think you can handle the lead this match." She replied with a lusty grin.

Adam decided to take his time for this session and make it a passionate as possible, throwing in as many neck kisses, body caresses, and love bites as he could. It wasn't long before he had Cinder trembling at his touch and it got to the point where she was practically pleading for more.

After they had finished their second bout of love-making; they pulled their tired bodies from the pools. And even though Cinder could have easily dried herself, Adam wanted nothing more than to personally take the time to help her dry her water-logged fur. Once finished, the two lovers slowly made their way hand-in-hand back home.

They found Rose seated patiently for their return on the couch. She seemed like she had a rather hopeful expression as she eyed Adam and he knew all too well what she was waiting for. Needless to say, Cinder really took him for a ride. Hell, she took him for two, and he wasn't quite back at his optimal performance level just yet.

"You go talk to Rose and tell her what's what." Adam said in Cinder's ear. "I need to re-hydrate and recharge for a few minutes before I'm ready to go again. You really didn't go easy on me that first round."

"True, but you got your revenge on round two. Anyway, I'll go talk to her…you do what you have to do to get ready." She gave him a quick kiss before making her way to Rose. As she walked by, she motioned for the Lucario to follow her as she made her way to the bedroom. Rose looked somewhat off at first but she reluctantly got to her feet and followed the fire-type.

She found Cinder sitting on the edge of the bed. Rose was beginning to feel somewhat nervous. Her mood changed once she seen the Typhlosion smile.

_"So, how did it go?"_ Rose asked.

"As of right now, I am pretty sure Adam is down with the idea."

_"What do you mean by 'pretty sure'?"_

"Well, to be honest, Adam is rather nervous about doing this." She explained. "He said that he would feel like he was betraying me by doing this with you but I think I managed to talk him into it. I told him that I had no problem with him helping you and he said he would try his hardest to go through with it but he wasn't making any promises."

_"I guess that answer is better than no answer."_ Rose replied. _"I think you again for talking to him about it." _

"No problem." Cinder said with the wave of a paw. "But he can't go right now."

_"Why not?"_

"Let's just say me and him and on hell of a romp down at the springs." She said with a large grin. "To be honest...it was more like two romps."

_"Oh…wow."_

"Yea...he kinda needs a moment to reenergize his systems."

_"Ah, I understand."_

"But we can use this time to our advantage."

_"How so?"_

"This will give me some time to prepare you for what is to come. I can also teach you a trick or two that can leave Adam like putty in your paws; granted he doesn't use his skills first. Cause if he does…you may need another round like I did to get the full experience."

Adam decided to sit in the den and wait before Cinder came out and gave him the all clear. He didn't know what was taking Cinder so long but for the time being, he wasn't complaining. It was giving him more than enough time to rest up.

About twenty minutes later, Cinder exited the bedroom.

"Sorry 'bout that." She said. "Had to make sure she was ready."

"That's okay." He said getting up and stretching. He slowly made his way over to the bedroom door.

"Well, don't just stand there." Cinder said waving him on with her paw. "Get in there and don't keep her waiting."

"I guess it's now or never." He said to himself before he opened the door and entered the room. He pushed the door closed behind him as he took a deep breath. His eyes scanned the room briefly before stopping on the Lucario that was currently lying on his bed. She gazed at him with an amorous look as she sat up in a sultry pose with her arms behind her head.

_"So…"_ she said in a lusty tone. _"Where do we start?"_

"Well, ladies first…you lead, I follow."

She grinned and laid back, spreading her legs and exposing her moist sex to him. An idea came to his head. He was going to try something new…something that he had only really tried with Cinder once. She seemed to like it so why not try it again.

He positioned himself so that he was face to face with her slit. Before Rose even knew what was going on, he kissed her wet lips gently. The sensation sent a wave of pleasure through her body causing her to tremble and gasp. Adam didn't waste any time and, driven on by her sweet and musky scent, got busy with trying to pleasure her to the best of his abilities.

As Adam continued to lap away, Rose could help but moan with pure pleasure as she instinctively placed her paws on his head and pressed his face against her wet hole. He pressed on with renewed vigor and began to drive his tongue down into the sensitive recesses of her sex.

Rose began to release odd yelps and barks as he showed no signs of letting up. The Lucario's back arched as she was hit by the first orgasm. Adam gasped as her warm juices splashed across his face and ran down his chin. As he sat up, Rose quickly wrapped her arms around him and mingled her mouth with his.

She savored the taste of her own juices as her tongue intertwined with his. Their kiss continued for several minutes before they parted to catch their breath. Adam found the image of Rose, her muzzle moist with her juices transferred through their kiss, to be greatly erotic. He was also surprised but her enthusiasm. For someone who was generally so shy; she wasted no time driving on to get what she wanted.

"I think Cinder is rubbing off on you." He teased.

_"Well she did want me to be ready."_ She replied with a giggle.

Eager to feel Adam inside her once again; Rose smiled before turning over. She steadied herself on her hands and knees and she presented her backside to him. She glanced over her shoulder as she swayed her hips back and forth in invitation. Should couldn't help but laugh at the look on Adam's face.

He quickly stripped revealing his erect member and Rose couldn't help but eye it with a hungry expression. As Adam steadied himself behind her, he couldn't help but hesitate as Cinder flashed through his mind. His lapse in thought began to make Rose impatient.

_"Please, Adam..."_ She moaned cutely. _"Don't make me wait."_

Adam shook his head and came to his senses as Rose began to anxiously press back against him. He grabbed her by the waist as he readied himself to make the initial plunge. As he rubbed the head of his cock against her slit, she cried out.

_"Do—do it…"_ she said in a shaky voice. _"I…I'm ready. I can't wait any longer."_

With that being said, Adam pressed himself forward, gasping as he felt himself slowly sink into her warm depths.

_"Y—yes…"_ she breathed as he pressed deeper and deeper. He paused once she had taken him fully before he slowly began to pump his hips back and forth. _"Oh…Adam."_

It didn't take him long before he was going at a quick and steady pace. Rose gasped with each thrust as wave after wave of pleasure streaked throughout her. It soon became too much for her to hold herself up and her arms gave way. She would have collapsed entirely if Adam was not holding her up by her hips.

Rose lay face first in the pillows with her hind quarters up in the air, supported only by Adam and her weak and shaky knees. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced. At times, it was like he was just a normal human. But then there were times where he seems more wild; almost like she was being ravaged by a strong wild male of her own kind. She bit down on the pillow as Adam was practically slamming into her.

Rose screamed as she was hit by her second orgasm; but Adam was not slowing down. He stopped long enough to let Rose roll over before he began taking her missionary even more vigorous than before.

The Lucario was barely holding on as Adam drove into her again and again. Her vision flickered as she was flooded with a torrent of pleasure, the likes which she had never before experienced. Rose began to moan loudly as Adam began to kiss and bite her neck.

Adam was at his limits. It wouldn't be long now. He only hoped that Rose managed to hang in there long enough for him to finish. He quickened his pace to max speed in order to finish. Rose was barely conscious as her body was being overwhelmed with pure sexual bliss.

Finally, she could take no more. She came violently as Adam released a river of seed into her. Rose went limp as his cum began to flow out of her. Her breathing was ragged and her entire body trembled uncontrollably. Adam rolled onto his side and held the Lucario in a warm hug. She came to, dimly aware of her surroundings.

"_Oh…oh, Arceus."_ She breathed heavily. _"Th—that was…amazing."_

"You were wonderful yourself." He replied. "I am surprised you hung in there for as long as you did. It looked like you might not make it."

"_I…I—I almost did…didn't."_

Adam laid back with one arm wrapped around Rose as he held her against his body.

"_Thank…you. Thank you so much, Adam."_ She managed to say. _"You don't know how much that meant to me."_

While the two of them caught their breath, Cinder slowly entered the room. She made her way over to the bed and snuggled up next to Adam, opposite of the exhausted Lucario. Adam wrapped his free arm around the Typhlosion and pulled her next to him. Tired and spent, Adam soon fell asleep, happily nestled between two warm Pokémon that he would give the world for.

"_Cinder…"_ Rose said faintly.

"Yes?" she replied.

"_Thank you."_ She whispered. _"You the best friend I have ever had."_

"You're welcome."

Rose cuddled against Adam's chest, too tired to stay awake any longer. Cinder smiled as she looked at them. Her plan had worked. Through Adam, she was able to return the favor and help a needy friend. She yawned as she snuggled up to Adam, completing the warm pile. It wasn't long before she too fell asleep.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: The Eternal Mother  
**_


	11. Ch 11: The Eternal Mother

_**Chapter 11: The Eternal Mother**_

Over the next few days, both Cinder's and Rose's heat had died down. And once again, everything was right in the house. If anything, things had gotten better. At first, Adam had noticed that Cinder and Rose were as happy as they could be but then he began to notice a change in Cinder's mood.

Lately, she seemed to be rather sad and kinda depressed. She tried to play it off and wore a false smile but she could not hid her feelings entirely. Adam tried to talk to her about it but she swore up and down that everything was alright.

Adam asked if it had something to do with him having sex with Rose but she insisted that she wasn't upset about that and told him nothing else no matter how much he tried to press her for information.

Seeing as Cinder was not about to say what was bothering her, he decided to drop it. Once or twice he had questioned Rose about it but if the Lucario knew the answers he was looking for; she wasn't giving the up any time soon.

In order to try to keep himself off of Cinder's case, Adam busied himself with a special secret project. He told no one about what he was working on. It was turning out to be more stressful than he thought but he was determined to stick with it and not give up.

One morning, Adam had left and went into town to do some more work on his project. This left Cinder and Rose alone. Rose took advantage of this and tried to get some one-on-one girl time with Cinder in order to figure out what was bothering her.

She found Cinder sitting on the couch. She was check out a few things on Adam's laptop. When Rose approached her, she quickly closed out of what she was doing and set the computer aside.

_"Cinder…we need to talk."_ Rose said.

"About what?" Cinder replied. Rose could sense that she was getting defensive.

_"Look, I know something is bothering you. You can talk to me about it. I want to help you."_

"There is nothing bothering me!" she said standing up abruptly. She tried to storm off but Rose grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to the couch. She got eye to eye with the Typhlosion.

"Don't play dumb with me!" the Lucario demanded. "What is going on?!"

Cinder was taken aback. It was the first time that she had heard Rose speak out vocally. The tone in her voice was a sign that she was not playing around. It made a chill run up Cinder's spine. She could not avoid Rose's piercing gaze. She was cornered and had no choice but to come clean.

"Alright…alright, you got me." Cinder admitted. "Something has been bothering me; but you can't say anything to Adam."

"Of course." Rose replied. "Now, what is going on? I want to help you in any way I can."

Cinder was still a bit unnerved with Rose physically talking. She had gotten so use to the Lucario talking to her mentally that this sudden change was quite the shock.

"Just letting you know…there isn't anything you can do for me?"

"Why? What are you talking about?" Rose replied rather worried.

"It's just something between me and Adam. You see, I love him more than anything and I know that he loves me deeply and that there would be nothing that he wouldn't do for me to make me happy. But…lately, I've been getting hit by this scenario lately and the more I brood on it the more I realize that Adam couldn't do anything to help me."

"What is it?" Rose asked placing a paw on Cinder's. For a minute, she didn't answer. Cinder could not avoid her stare. But this problem had been eating away at her and she had to get it off her chest.

"Lately…I—I've…" she started with a sigh. "Why is this so hard to talk about?"

"You can tell me anything." Rose reassured.

"Well…lately, I've just been getting this strong urge. I guess my maternal side has been coming through really hardy recently and I can't shake this feeling."

"Wait…are you talking about…"

"I've been wanting children, Adam's children. But…but…"

"Since you two aren't compatible, you would be unable to have his children."

"Exactly." Cinder nodded. "I don't know why I've thought about this so hard lately, but I can't shake it from my mind. And I don't dare talk to Adam about it. I know he would do anything in the world for me and once he realized that this time there would be nothing he could do…well; I don't know how he would react."  
"Well, you can't keep letting this eat away at you. And you know how Adam is. He is gonna find out sooner or later."

"I know…I know. I just don't know what to do." She could no longer hold it in and burst into tears. "I don't what to do." She repeated. Rose quickly wrapped her arms around Cinder as she tried to comfort her the best she could. But to be honest, there was little she could do.

Cinder was right. Even though she wanted nothing else in the world, she would never be able to bare Adam's children. After all, she was a Pokémon and he just a human. Rose had no clue as to what should could possibly say to cheer her up. Before she could say anything, Cinder stood up.

"I'm going to go for a walk." She said. "I'll be back later." And without a backwards glance, Cinder walked out the door. Rose was clueless. She could only sit and wonder about what she should do next. Numerous ideas racked her mind over the next few hours but the more she thought up; the more complicated they seemed to grow.

As time passed, Rose began to worry. Even though Cinder said she was just going for a walk; she still wasn't back yet. She began to pace in the kitchen wondering what could be keeping her out so long. The sound of someone coming in the front door made her rush to the den to see who it was.

"Rose," Adam said when she stumbled into the room. "What's going on?"

_"Oh, Adam…it's just you."_ She replied.

"What do you mean? Who else would you be expecting?" Rose didn't answer. Her silence began to unnerve Adam. "Where is Cinder?" he added.

"I—I don't know…" she replied aloud. Adam was thrown off by her talking briefly, but his mind quickly set on the task at hand.

"When did you start talking..? Never mind, that doesn't matter now. What do you mean you don't know where she is?"

"I mean that I don't know where she is." She declared. "She said she was just going for a walk…but that was a little over five hours ago."

"WHAT!" he replied dropping his things. "Did she say where she was going?"

"No…just that she was going for a walk."

Adam suddenly dashed out the door with Rose quickly following him. Adam instinctively searched the areas around the house including the barn and shed but he could not find her. He even stumbled down through the cave to the springs. Cinder was nowhere to be found.

"Cinder!" he called out as he started to walk through the edge of the tree line that ran around the house. All that responded to his call was the wind. "Where the hell is she?" he said under his breath. Rose could tell his was worried and wanted to keep him from panicking more than he was.

"Calm down, Adam." She said.

"Calm—calm down?" he asked. "How do you expect me to calm down?" Rose suddenly grabbed Adam by the front of his shirt and pulled him down more to her level before slapping him hard across the face.

"ADAM!" she shouted. "CALM DOWN!" The shock of the blow momentarily stunned him. "Getting all worked up is not going to help anything. You need to keep you're your head on straight if we are going to find Cinder."

"You're…you're right." He agreed with a nod after taking a deep breath.

"It's alright." She reassured. "I know how you feel. I'm worried about her too. But I might be able to make the task at hand a bit easier."

Before Adam could ask, Rose kneeled and closed her eyes. She placed both her paws firmly on the ground as if she were trying to feel their answers out. A blue aura formed around the Lucario. The four small black appendages on her head began to move; almost as if they were floating on water.

She remained in this position for a few minutes before everything calmed and the glowing aura faded away. Rose took a few steadying breaths before getting to her feet. Adam looked on apprehensively.

"Well?" he asked.

"I don't know where she is…" she admitted. "But I was able to pick up on her trail to tell which way she went." Adam rushed to the barn only to return on the ATV.

"Lead the way." He said to Rose. The Lucario nodded in agreement before sprinting off into the woods with Adam riding along not far behind her.

Cinder was walking through the woods. She sniffed and wiped away a tear. She had walked for a while and for the time being, she was rather tired. She found a rather old-looking tree. It was the only one she had seen that didn't look like any of the other. It was bigger and taller than the rest. It seemed like this tree had been here well before the rest of them around it. The roots were long and arched. In fact, it was almost like they were lifting the entire tree up off the ground.

Cinder found that there was a hollowed out area under the base of the tree that she could get to through the roots. Inside, the cleared out area was at least fifteen degrees warmer than outside. A soft green moss had grown on the floor, making it quite comfortable to lay on; so Cinder decided to do just that.

She found a particularly soft spot in the center of the moss and she curled up to rest up. Looking up, she noticed that the rest of the tree was generally hollow almost all the way up. It was rather dark and she could not see the top of the hollow. Sniffing, she curled up and closed her eyes as a lone tear shone on her cheek.

After some time had passed, Cinder stirred lightly. She sat up with a yawn and looked around. Something was different. It was like she was looking at things in a new light.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked herself. Suddenly, there was a change in the air. It was almost like there was a hum of pure energy that had enveloped her. It made her skin crawl slightly and the fur on the back of her neck stand up. Looking up, she saw a large sphere of light. "Okay…now I know I am dreaming." She said.

The sphere was about a foot and a half in diameter and glowed a pale white. It drifted lazily down from the top of the hollow. Cinder pressed herself against the wall as it glided closer towards her. She began to shake as it stopped eye level with her.

_"Do not be afraid."_ A voice said calmly. It had a soft and sweet tone like that of a female. _"I will not harm you, my child."_

"W-what's going on?" she asked nervous. "What do you want with me?"

_"Find peace…"_ the voice replied. _"You are safe."_

"What are you?"

_"An interesting question…"_ the voice said somewhat amused. _"But the real question isn't what…but whom."_

"W-who?"

_"Yes."_

"Who—who are you?" As if to respond, the orb of light shimmered before expanding slightly. Suddenly, the ball of light burst forth like a bubble that had been popped. It sent a wonderful array of colorful light in all direction and Cinder had to shield her eyes momentarily. Once the glare had died down, Cinder opened her eyes, gasping as she did. Floating in midair, mere feet from her was a creature that she had never seen before.

It resembled a pink, bipedal cat-like creature with fine, thin fur. It had a long, skinny tail ending with a rounded tip and big hind legs and short arms with three-fingered paws. The creature looked up and gazed at Cinder with sparkling blue eyes.

_"I...am Mew."_ She said.

"Mew?"

_"Yes…"_

"Where do I know that name?" Cinder asked herself. "I know I heard it before…it sounds so familiar."

_"I am the Eternal Mother…The origin of all Pokémon."_

"Wait! You mean to tell me that you created all of the Pokémon in the world?"

_"Yes…Save for one."_

"And that Pokémon is?"

_"Arceus."_

"Arceus?"

_"Arceus is the Great Creator. It was he that created the heavens and the earth."_

"Wait…if Arceus was the Great Creator…how come it was you that created all Pokémon and not him?"

"_Creating the universe was a great task and left Arceus severely weakened. With the majority of what remaining energy he had, he created me to populate the world you know. And so I did by creating all living things."_

"This can't be happening." Cinder mumbled.

_"But it is, my child."_ Mew replied.

Cinder remained silent for a moment. There was no way this could actually be happening. This Mew figure was some sort of _god-like_ being and now she was sitting here talking to Cinder. But Cinder was no one special so why would a god take the time to talk to her? The entire time, Mew just floated there watching Cinder apprehensively.

"Why…why are you here?" Cinder asked. Mew cocked her head as if confused. "I mean, you're a god, while I no one special. Why would you take time out of your life to talk with me? I'm not worthy…"

_"But you are worthy, my child."_ Mew replied. _"As for why I would show myself to you…I don't get many visitors to my tree. I watched on to see what your intentions were. After a little while, I realized that something was troubling you. So, I decided to see what was wrong."_

Cinder remained silent as Mew looked at her with a studying expression. It was a bit unnerving…almost like she was reading her like a book.

"Was it that easy to tell something was wrong?" she asked.

_"Well, you were crying so I sort of guessed."_ Mew replied. _"So, my child…what is bothering you?"_

"It's a long story." Cinder said. "I don't want to bother you with it."

_"It was I that came to you to help you. This is something I do not normally do. You should feel honored…privileged that I would do so for you. I want to help you, but I can't if you don't let me."_

Cinder realized that Mew was not going to be letting her get by without talking to her. After another minute of silence she finally spoke up.

"Well…it's like this. I—I sorta fell in love with my human."

_"Sorta?"_

"Okay…I did."

_"And what is the problem? Does he not love you?"_

"No…no…nothing like that. You see, Adam wasn't my original trainer. The one who originally caught me was a horrible person. He would beat and rape me…" She fell silent.

_"I am sorry, my dear."_ Mew replied earnestly. _"It is a horrible fact of life…knowing that something that I created could act in such a way."_

"You didn't fail…" Cinder blurted out. "Not all humans are bad. Adam came along and saved me from that terrible life."

_"And it is when they perform actions like that that when I realized that there is some good in them."_

"As Adam took care of me, it was then when I got to see a side of humans that I normally didn't get to see…a loving and compassionate side. As time went on; I soon fell in love with him but was afraid that he would not have the same feelings for me."

"But he surprised me once again when he admitted to having the same feelings for me as I did him. And I couldn't have been happier. I had found someone who loved me for who I was…who wouldn't want me to change."

_"Well, what is the problem…you seem to have a happy life with this human."_

"I do…but lately, these strong urges have been hitting me. I—I…" Cinder sighed. "I've wanted children lately."

_"With this human…"_ Cinder nodded somewhat embarrassed.

"I know it isn't something that naturally wouldn't happen. I mean, he is a human and I am a Pokémon. We aren't compatible for having young. But the problem is I still keep having these feelings. Adam loves me so much; I know he would do anything in the world for me. I just don't know how he will react when he discovers that this time…"

_"There would be nothing he could do."_

"Yes."

_"I see why you would be upset."_ Mew stated. _"You love this human so much, that you don't want him to worry himself with not being able to provide for you…to make you happy in life."_ Cinder nodded. _"Do not be upset with this problem. You are not the first Pokémon I have encountered to have this same problem."_

"I'm not..?"

_"No…you are not."_

"Is there anything you can do?"

_"There might be, but I won't do it…"_

"Wait…what do you mean you won't do it?" she said becoming hostile.

_"Easy, my child." _ Mew replied. _"You did not let me finish. Yes, there might be something I can do…but I'm just not going to do it because you will me to."_

"I…I don't understand."

_"Do you love this human?"_

"Yes, of course."

_"And does he you?"_

"Yes."

_"Are you sure that he loves you enough to want children. You see, my dear. This human may love you, but he may not yet be ready for children. I will not interfere with someone else's life. My actions will not just affect you, but him as well. I will not force something upon him if he isn't ready."_

"Wh—what do you suggest?"

_"Go, talk to this human. Make sure that this decision is not just yours…but his as well. You two are partners after all; decisions like this should be done together._"

"I understand." Cinder nodded.

_"Good…now, take some time to talk it over with this human. After a week, I will return to see if you two are sure you wish for me to go through with this."_ Suddenly, Mew's ears perked up. _"Someone is coming, I must take my leave."_

"But, wait…" Cinder said jumping to her feet. "How will I contact you when we are ready with our decision?"

_"Like I said, in one week…I will come to you. On the night of the seventh day, make sure you and the human are alone. I will then come to make sure this is something that you both want. Now, I must go. Take care, my child. And remember…one week. You have exactly one week to be certain that this is what you two wish."_

Suddenly, Mew's form began to glow brightly. With a quick bust of energy, she was gone; leaving Cinder alone to stare on. Shouting brought her to her senses. She got to her feet and made her way outside of the tree.

"Cinder! Where are you?" someone was shouting. It sounded like Adam. Her heart skipped a beat. He sounded panicked…maybe even fearful.

"I'm here!" she shouted back. The dull rumble of a motor soon grew to a loud roar as a four-wheeler rushed through the trees, being led by a sprinting Lucario. When the vehicle came to a stop, the ride jumped from it and rushed towards her.

Adam fell to his knees in front of Cinder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close and he cried into her chest. A pang of quilt struck her when she realized that it was her fault Adam was like this.

"Adam…I'm sorry…" she started but he stopped her with a kiss.

"You don't have to explain anything." He sniffed. "I am just glad you are safe." He gave her another kiss and hugged her tightly once again. After a minute, he got to his feet and wiped his face.

"Come on, you two." He said placing an arm around both of them. "Let's go home."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: The One Week Decision **_


	12. Ch 12: The One Week Decision

_**Chapter 12: The One Week Decision**_

Cinder knew she needed to talk to Adam about what had transpired while she was in the woods. But she couldn't find the nerve to do so. For something that she wanted so bad, it was incredibly difficult to bring up. Finally, on the sixth day, she worked up the courage and approached Adam while he was working on his computer.

"Adam…" she said shyly. "I need to talk to you about something." He closed his laptop and set it aside.

"Sure, what is it?" he replied. She didn't respond. "Does this have something to do with the other day?"

"Y-yes." She said with a slight nod.

"Well…what is it?" he asked again. "You can tell me." She sat next to him and twiddled her thumbs.

"It's just…well, you see…Damnit, well, Adam…I…..uh…." She was having an increasingly difficult time trying to find the right words.

"Cinder, it's alright." He said placing a hand on her paw. "I'm not mad about what happened; and if there is something you can tell me…you can tell me. I won't be upset."

"Adam…do you love me?" she finally said.

"Wh…what kind of question is that?" he asked rather shocked. "Of course I love you. Why would you think otherwise?"

She didn't answer. Adam started at her waiting for a response but it seemed that one was not coming. He had had enough.

"Cinder, does this have anything to do with you wanting children with me?"

"Wh—what?" she asked surprised. "How did you—"

"Rose told me when we were trying to find you the other day."

Cinder looked down embarrassed. Adam just smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So…that's what has been bothering you lately."

"Yes." She finally admitted.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "I'm not mad at you if that's what you're wondering."

"No…it's not that."

"Well…what is it?"

"It's just that I know how much you want to see me happy. I didn't know how to break it to you or how you would react once you realized that there was nothing you could do…"

"What are you…oh…" Adam said as he suddenly figured out what she meant. "You mean how we couldn't have kids?"

"Yes." She said with a sniff. "I know that you love me and would do anything for me but then I realized that it could never happen and couldn't imagine how you would react once you saw that this time; there would be nothing you could do…."

Adam looked down. She was right. There would be no way they could have children together.

"At least, that is what I thought until I went for that walk." She added.

"What do you mean" he asked looking up at her confused.

"Well, when I was…no…never mind. I don't think you would believe me."

"Cinder, what is it?" he said as he took bother her paws in his hands. "You can tell me."

"You know that tree you found me at?" she asked. He nodded after a brief laps in thought. "Well, you see. There is a Pokémon that lives there. One that said she could help us."

"A Pokémon?" he asked.

"Yes." She nodded. "She said her name was Mew." Adams eyes suddenly widened.

"Did you say Mew?" he asked.

"Y…yes, why do you ask?"

"Because…one night while I was out gathering wood, I thought I saw what appeared to be a Mew gliding through the trees. I thought I was just seeing things a first. But now you say you meet it."

"Her…" Cinder corrected. "She appeared to me while I was resting under the tree."

"And what did she say?"

"She had asked if something was bothering. I guess she could sense that something was. I told her about how I had come to be with you and how I wanted children with you. She instantly picked up on the fact that we were not compatible."

"From what I hear; Mew is supposed to be incredibly powerful and intelligent. The strongest in the world even."

"Anyway…after hearing me out, she said that there would something she could do that could possibly help with us having children."

"She did? How?"

"She never said that. In fact, she never honestly agreed to it. That is why I needed to talk to you ultimately."

"Okay…I'm listening."

"Mew said that she could help use, but she wasn't going to if it was just something I was wanting. She said that her overall decision would affect us both and that as partners, we would have to come to a conclusion as to whether or not we would want her to intervene."

"Yes." He said suddenly.

"She said that…wait—what?" Cinder asked.

"Yes." He repeated. "Cinder, if this is the only way we can have children, I am okay with this if it is something you want."

"R-really?"

"You said it yourself. I would do anything to see you happy. If you think we are ready to have children, well…then I agree with you. I say let's go for it."

Cinder burst into tears as she squealed for joy and tackled him back to the couch where she smothered him in kisses. Adam was doing everything he could to keep her from crushing him. They finally parted, both breathing heavily.

"You really mean it?" she asked.

"Cinder…I love you and I would love nothing more than for use to be able to have children. If Mew says she will help us if we want her to then we should let her."

"Oh, thank you." She said as she kissed him again. "I can't even begin to describe how happy I am right now."

"You don't have to." He replied with a big smile. "I can tell already."

The two resumed their joyous make-out session for several minutes. Once they had finally come down off of their exuberant high, something suddenly struck Adam.

"If Mew has agreed to help us…how to we tell her that we are okay with her doing this?"

"Oh yea, that's right." Cinder said. "I had almost forgotten about that bit. Before Mew left me, she said that she would give us one week to reach a decision. And that after that week was up, she would come to use and hear our answer."

"What…so that means—"

"Yep," she nodded. "She will be here tomorrow night."

The next day was a mixture of a panicked rush and a joyful resolve. The tension was rather high as both Cinder and Adam awaited the arrival of the Eternal Mother. They remained nervous throughout the day. But as the hours passed, they began to have their doubts.

The hours continued to slip by and the sun had begun to sink lower beyond the horizon. It had started to seem like Mew was not actually arriving. The couple had started to wonder is maybe Cinder had just dreamed the entire thing seeing as she was in such a stressed and emotional state at the time of the event.

"Maybe she isn't coming." Cinder said as she crawled under the blanket and snuggled next to Adam as they got ready for bed. "Maybe I _did_ just dream it all, that it was just in my head."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up." Adam said reassuringly. "Maybe you really did see Mew and maybe she really is coming."

"If so, then why hasn't she arrived yet?"

"Maybe…she's testing us…or something."

"Test?"

"You know how these legendary Pokémon tend to get. In just about every story you hear about them, it always seem like they enjoy testing others. Maybe that is what Mew is doing. She's testing us…and if that is the case, we can't give up. We can't lose hope."

Cinder wiped her eyes and smiled. Something about seeing how much Adam wanted this to happen gave her reassurance. It was then that she could tell that he was indeed serious about wanting children.

_"My, you picked a smart one didn't you my dear."_ A soft and familiar voice rang out in her mind. She looked around trying to find the source. It appeared that Adam had heard the voice as well. There was a sudden glow of shimmering light hovering about a two feet above the foot of the bed. As the light faded, Mew appeared in its place.

"You're here!" Cinder said unable to contain herself.

_"Of course I am."_ Mew replied with a rather off tone in her voice. _"I said I was coming didn't I?"_

"Y-yes you did…" She muttered. "I…I guess I had gotten impatient."

_"How do you expect me to help you when you can't even hold your faith in me?"_

"I-I-I'm sorry." The Typhlosion stuttered. "I…I just…"

_"Relax, my child."_ Mew replied calmly. _"I only jest."_ Cinder started at her, her mouth slightly hanging open. _"When you have been around for as long as I have; you have to find ways to entertain yourself."_ She added with a playful giggle. Her demeanor suddenly turned serious as she drifted closer to Adam. She carefully inspected him with her sparkling sapphire eyes.

_"Yes…you really did make a wise choice, didn't you?"_ she said to Cinder._ "No doubt, this human is a perfect match for you. Everything about him completes you entirely."_

"To be honest…he was the one who found me. So in a way, he was the one who chose me."

_"Aye, fate does have an amazing way of making things play out now does it?"_ she agreed. _"What is the matter…Meowth got your tongue?"_ she asked Adam.

"More like a Persian." He replied with a chuckle.

_"Ahh, and he is funny."_ Mew giggled. _"He really is the one for you."_ She drifted around them as she continued to look them over. After a few minutes, she drifted lazily to a stop, just inches in front of them.

_"Well, the week is up. Have you two come to an agreement on your situation?"_

Adam and Cinder looked at one another and nodded.

"We have." Cinder answered.

_"And?"_

"We would be honored to have you assist us in our goal of having children." Adam replied.

_"Are you sure of this?"_

"Yes." The two of them said in unison.

_"Very well then." _Mew said happily as she flew around the room. _"It will be my pleasure to help you in any way I can."_

"Thank you so much." Cinder said as a tear began to form in her eye. She quickly wiped it away as Mew approached them once again.

_"So...have you two given any though as to how you wish to proceed?"_

"What do you mean?" Cinder asked somewhat confused.

_"Do you two know how you wish for me to proceed?"_

"Actually, we didn't really have a clue as to what you had in mind." Adam replied.

_"Well then, allow me to name a few suggestions; and please note that whatever your decision is…it will be final. There will be no going back once you have decided."_ Cinder and Adam looked at one another briefly before Mew continued.

_"I can always do the main option and turn Adam into a Typhlosion…or you, Cinder, into a human…"_

"But the fact that Adam is human is one of the things I love so much about him." Cinder protested. "In fact, it is what I love about our relationship…how two totally different beings could find love in one another." Adam nodded in agreement. Mew held up her small paw to quiet Cinder.

_"You truly have a special gift in you…the both of you."_ She said softly. _"If a full transformation is out of the question, then we could try something else. After all; only a slight, ''internal'' change is needed to be made overall for you two to be compatible."_ It almost appeared that her gaze slowly drifted down to Adam's waist as she spoke.

He knew what she was referring to. He knew what he needed to do and he knew that the choice would be final. He spoke up.

"Mew…I understand that this choice is final; and I know what my choice is." Both she and Cinder looked at him. "I know that no one will ever hold my heart like Cinder does. I also know that she does not want me to become a Pokémon or she a human. So that leaves only one choice. I wish you to make the slight change needed that will make _me_ a compatible partner for her."

_"Are you sure?"_ she asked one last time. Adam nodded. Cinder then understood what Adam's choice was and she too nodded to as to approve of his decision. _"Then it will be done."_

Mew's eyes seemed to glow a pale blue as she stared at Adam. His body began to glow the same color. He began to feel a slight tingle in his groin as the entire region seemed to become somewhat denser than before. And just as soon as it had started, the process was complete. The glow of Adam's body as well as Mew's eyes faded back to normal.

_"There, I have done what was needed."_ Mew said with a rather tired sigh.

"That was it?" Adam asked.

_"The change wasn't a major one. Why, is something wrong?"_

"N-no…nothing's wrong. It's just that the "procedure" didn't hurt."

_"Were you wanting it to?"_ Mew asked curiously.

"No-no-no-not-at-all." Adam said quickly waving his hands.

_"Well, I have done my part and I must leave. The work has left me rather tired and I must return home to rest."_

"Thank you for everything." Cinder said as she fought the urge to snatch the floating cat-creature from the air and hug it.

"Yes, thank you." Adam added.

_"You two are most welcome."_ She said. Her body began to shimmer. _"Oh, before I leave…a word of advice. For best results…I suggest waiting until Cinder goes into her next heat. And also, if you didn't know…in the chemistry of Pokémon, species can interbreed. I made you compatible for a Typhlosion but you are also compatible with any species that could breed with a Typhlosion. I just thought that you might have been curious about the changes."_

Adam was sure he might of saw Mew glance towards the living room as she said that. And with that said, Mew disappeared with a quick flash leaving the two of them with a new-found joy as they were now one step closer to expanding the size of their little family.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: The Power of a Question  
**_


	13. Ch 13: The Power of a Question

_**Chapter 13: The Power of a Question**_

Adam and Cinder took Mew's advice and waited until Cinder's next heat before they tried to see if Adam's recent change would succeed. Adam held nothing back as he strove to make sure Cinder would bear his children. They went all out in one of the longest bouts of love-making they had ever had. After their third round of "heavy-petting," Cinder snuggled up next to Adam with an exhausted yet content sigh.

"Well…if that doesn't get me pregnant…I don't know what will." She breathed with a light giggle.

"Now, it is all up to nature." He replied as he softly rubbed her belly. "We will just have to wait and see."

And they did. They didn't have to wait long, however. After about the second week, Cinder started showing the discernible signs of pregnancy. Her stomach was slowly but surely starting to bulge outwards as a new life started to grow within her.

She was ecstatic. She was going to finally be a mother; something she thought would be least likely to happen. She could not contain her joy and Adam couldn't help but smile when he saw how happy she was. But down inside, there was something eating at him. It wasn't bad; in fact, it was a surprise for Cinder. He just didn't know how to bring it up. One night, he decided to finally talk to her about it.

"Cinder…" he said softly as she snuggled next to him. "I've been thinking lately."

"About what?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"About going back…"

"Back?"

"Yea…back. You know, back home."

"Already?"

"Already..? We've been up here for like four months."

"I know…I know. It's just that…well, why end a perfect thing?"

"Is it really perfect? Cinder we have a home. Back in North Carolina."

"Yes, but do you really want to go back and deal with all that bullshit that everyone was giving you about us. Up here, no one really cares."

"That is because up here, no one really knows about us…well, except for Jace." Cinder looked away and didn't respond. "Cinder, I don't care anymore what people think. I will always love you no matter what people say; you know that."

"I know you love me…It's just that I thought we came up here to start a new life."

"And we did start a new life…literally." He replied as he gently rubbed her stomach. "But, well…I don't know. It just doesn't feel like home to me up here."

"And what about Rose…where will she go?"

"She will be coming with us of course."

"All of us…and our newborn…all crammed into that small apartment."

"No, not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I was hoping to surprise you but it looks like now is the best time to tell you."

"I still don't…what are you talking about?"

"We don't have to go back to the apartment. We can get us a bigger house. Big enough for all of us."

"How…how can we afford something like that?"

"I got a few weeks ago. A well-known director has been looking over my stories that I have been posting on that site. He said that he wants to use the concepts of one of them to make a movie. He said he would pay handsomely if I allowed him to."

"What? Really?"

"Yes."

"For how much?"

"Four hundred and fifty thousand."

"Dollars."

"Yep. That would be more than enough for use to get a bigger place to live; which is why I wanted to go back. You remember that one house you liked so much back when we were first looking for a place of our own."

"Yes."

"Well, I called up the owner and it is still up for sell. I was able to talk him down to half its original price."

"Really!?"

"Mmhmm. All we have to do is go back down there and pay him. He said he would be willing to hold it until we got back. So you see; that was the reason I wanted to go back. Since we were going to start a family; I wanted to make sure we had a place of our own with plenty of room to do so."

Cinder couldn't hold her emotions in any longer. She wrapped her arms around Adam and locked him in a deep and passionate kiss. Adam happily returned it. When they parted, cinder wiped away a quick teak.

"So, when do we go back?"

"I was hoping to go back as soon as we could that way we could have everything moved out of the apartment and into the new house before the little one arrived. If you want…we can see if Jace would be willing to fly us back at the end of the week."

"Alright."

"I love you, Cinder." He said kissing her lightly.

"I love you, too." She replied as she kissed him back.

The next day, Adam called up Jace to see if he would be able to fly them back that weekend.

"Already?" Jace asked.

"I can't go into too many details at the moment, but yea. I got us a place picked out we can move in so that we will have plenty of room for a family."

"Alright…I can clear up a space on my schedule and we can depart first thing Saturday morning."

"Okay. We will be ready for you to come pick us up that morning."

"Okay then…I guess I will be seeing you."

Adam went and told Cinder and Rose that they would be leaving Saturday. They spent the next few days making sure they had everything packed and ready as well as said their goodbyes to the few people they had gotten to know during their stay. Their excitement made that week go by quickly and it seemed like before they knew it, they were on their way back home to North Carolina.

They spent the next few weeks getting things together and moving into their new home. It was better than they could have ever expected. It was a four bedroom, two and a half bath with plenty of room for a growing family.

By this time, Cinder was well into her pregnancy and her stomach was greatly distended. She would often sit there with a paw on her belly and smile when she felt the baby kick. Adam was happy also. They were finally going to be able to live the life that they had always wanted. But there was still one more thing that needed to be done. He was just waiting for the right moment.

One morning, Adam walked into the den to find Cinder sitting on the couch reading one of her favorite books. She set the book aside and stood up to hug him when he entered.

"Someone is in a good mood today." He teases as he kissed her lightly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked. "I have everything I could ever dream of, I'm going to be a mother and it is all thanks to you. I'm so happy, I feel as if I could burst. I don't think I could be anymore happy."

"I beg to differ." He laughed.

"What do you mean?" she asked puzzled.

"Cinder, lately, I couldn't help but think of how we have been together for well over a year now. You have been the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I look into your eyes and I can't help but see the love we share for one another. There has been something I've wanted to do for a little while now, but I wanted to wait for the right moment and surprise you. I think now is the best time for this."

As he spoke, he dug into his pocket and pulled something out of it. It was a small black box. Cinder couldn't help but wipe away a tear as he knelt before her and opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring. In a way, it matched the necklace her had gotten her for Christmas. The ring was gold with a skillfully crafted piece of fire stone set in the center. There were several diamonds set around the red stone.

"Cinder…will you marry me?" he finished.

For a moment, she was speechless. Tears began to flow down her cheeks as she started down at him. After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke up.

"Adam…I…I don't know what to say."

"Say yes…" he replied. "And we can be happy together for the rest of our lives. This proposal was the start of my overall surprise."

"There…there's more?"

"Yes." He nodded. "You see, one of the reasons why I had been working on my computer lately was because I was working on getting a law passed. After a lot of working on it, I was able to get a law to pass declaring that it is legal and okay for humans and Pokémon to form couples."

The magnitude of Adam's gift suddenly hit her. They could finally be together and would no longer have to worry anyone going against them anymore.

"Yes…" She breathed.

Adam slipped the ring on her finger, smiling, and got to his feet. As he did, Cinder pulled him in close and kissed him.

"Yes." She repeated.

The two of them stood in silent joy, beaming at one another. Cinder wiped away a tear and was surprised to see that Adam had a tear rolling down his cheek as well. They remained there for a moment savoring it for as long as they could. Adam then leaned in to kiss her once again, but stopped when she recoiled with a gasp.

"What's wrong?" He asked. She winced again releasing a more audible gasp.

"It's time." She said placing a paw on her belly.

"You-you mean…?" He stammered.

"Yes…" she replied shakily with a nod.

Adam's instincts kicked in. Calling for Rose, he began to escort Cinder outside and to his truck. Once everyone was in, he quickly proceeded to drive to the local Pokémon Center. As he drove, Rose did her best to comfort Cinder as she started going through her contractions.

The truck slid to a stop in the parking lot of the Poké-Center. As soon as the truck came to a stop, Adam flung himself out his door and rushed around to help Cinder. They carefully hurried their way inside and to the front desk were a Nurse Joy was seated. Adam didn't have to say anything. As soon as the nurse looked up, she immediately called for assistance.

A Chansey came into the room pushing a wheelchair along in-which Adam helped Cinder into. The assistant Pokémon then turned and wheeled Cinder off through a set of doors. Adam started to follow, but was immediately stopped by the Nurse Joy.

"I am sorry…" she said. "Only staff is allowed back there at the moment."

"But…" He started to reply.

"Sir, please go wait in the waiting room. We will take care of things from here."

After she had said her piece, the nurse then turned and went through the doors leaving Adam alone to stare on. He had no choice but to return to the waiting room where he sat impatiently with Rose. The Lucario did her best to calm his nerves but it was a losing battle that she could not win.

As the clock on the wall ticked past just after the second hour, the nurse came back in through the doors. Adam quickly jumped to his feet and approached her.

"Is Cinder alright?" he asked. At first she didn't answer. Before he could ask again, she stopped him.

"There are situations that are unplanned and unexpected—" she started.

Adam quickly shoved past her through the doors, ignoring her shouts. He dashed wildly down the corridor as he searched for Cinder. He almost tripped as he barged in through the last door at the end of the hallway.

He then stopped dead in his tracks, unable to speak or move. Cinder slowly looked up at him from her bed and smiled before returning her attention to the mass of blankets in her arms. Adam slowly stumbled along as he approached.

"It was twins." Cinder said weakly with a smile as he neared. She then shifted a blanket to reveal that she was in fact holding two bundles. Tears filled his eyes as he looked down at the two newborn Cyndaquil that lay swaddled in their warm wraps. "A boy and a girl." She added as he blindly sat his way down into a chair next to her.

The nurse rushed into the room with Rose right behind her. Nurse Joy made her way over to Cinder opposite of Adam while Rose came and stood next to the still silent young man. After Nurse Joy checked on Cinder's condition, she left the room to give them some privacy.

Adam could not take his moist eyes off his newborn. Cinder finally broke the silence.

"Are you ever going to say anything?" she teased.

"I never thought I would see this day…" he said quietly.

"Well, it's happening." She replied. "We did it…"

Adam slowly reached over and took one of the bundles from Cinder and cradled it in his arms.

"I can already tell that he has his father's spirit." Cinder chuckled faintly.

Adam could only stare on in awe at his new son. The little Cyndaquil looked up at him intently. It looked just like a regular Cyndaquil except that the color of its fur was a tad bit darker.

"Hey there little guy." Adam managed to say with a smile.

"I was thinking Maliki as his name." Cinder said. Adam looked up and nodded with a smile.

"I like that name." he replied. "It suits him." He then switched bundles with Cinder and finally got a look at his new daughter. She was a typical Cyndaquil except that her fur was a little lighter than normal. "And for her?" he asked lightly.

"How about Amber?" she suggested.

"Amber…" he repeated. "Do you like that name?" he asked the bundle in his arms. The baby replied with a squealing yawn before snuggling deeper into the warm blankets that surrounded it. "You're going to grow up to be big and strong like your mommy one day." He laughed.

"Congratulations, you two." Rose said happily.

"Thanks." Cinder replied.

_"The miracle of a new life is a fascinating thing isn't it?"_ a voice suddenly said. They all looked up to see a familiar figure drifting ever so gracefully through the air.

"Mew!" Adam exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

_"What…?"_ she asked with a cock of her head. _"Did you honestly think that I was going to miss this miracle unfold? That I was just going to plop this gift into your arms and go without a second look back?"_

"Not really…it was just that I didn't think we would have the chance to thank you for this unimaginable gift you have given us."

_"Well, I am glad you appreciate what I have done for you. Not many people can see what it is they have truly been given until it's too late."_

Mew floated over to better inspect what her work had blossomed into. She first looked at Amber and then drifted over to look at Maliki. While she looked at him, he was trying his hardest to grab the tip of her tail as it drifted in front of him.

_"Quite the playful and inquisitive little one isn't he?"_ she replied as she twitched her tail ever so lightly to keep it from his grasp.

"We can never thank you enough for what you have done for us." Cinder said cheerfully.

_"You do not have to thank me."_ Mew replied. _"Just take good care of them. I want them to get a chance to meet their godmother later on."_

"We will." Adam said.

_ "Well then…I must be off for now."_ Mew said. _"There are other things I must attend to."_

"Don't be a stranger." Adam said. "Feel free to stop in and check up on them whenever you like."

_"I think I will take you up on that offer."_ She replied. _"Take care."_ And almost as suddenly as she had appeared, Mew had vanished.

Amber started to cry so Adam returned her to her mother's care. He gave Cinder a warm and loving kiss.

"I love you." He smiled.

"I love you, too." She replied.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: Epilogue - The Conclusion to You're The One**_


	14. Epilogue

_**Epilogue – The Conclusion to You're the One**_

(Six Months Later)

"Come on, Honey!" Adam called. "We don't want to be late on our first day."

"I'm coming!" she replied before she came down the stairs. She hurried along as fast as her pregnancy would allow her. Adam laughed. Cinder was halfway into her second pregnancy, but she did not let it slow her down. Rose was sitting on the couch reading to a Riolu.

Just then, two Quilava came rushing into the room chasing one another.

"Settle down, kids." Cinder called to them.

"Let them be, Dear." Adam teased. "Now let's go."

"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" Maliki and Amber called as they turned to leave.

"Bye kids." Adam replied. "Now you two best behave for your Aunt Rose."

"We will." They replied before running off to play.

"Bye-bye Daddy and Auntie Cinder." The Riolu said over the back of the couch.

"Bye-bye Aaron." Cinder replied sweetly.

With the goodbyes out of the way, Adam and Cinder were finally able to leave. They got into Adam's truck and they headed into town.

"This is it…" Adam said. "Our first day."

"Yep." Cinder replied with a nod. "Did you ever think we would ever become couples counselors for Human/Pokémon couples?"

"Actually, no…It hadn't crossed my mind. But if it works out, we should have a good income combined with my stories that I have been working on also."

"It will work out." She said with a definitive tone. They rode along for several minutes.

"It seems like Aaron is quickly picking up on talking." Adam stated.

"Yea, Rose said he is smart and a fast learner. No doubt, he will soon be caught up with Maliki and Amber. Look how quick they caught on with it after all.

"Maybe our kids are just destined to be geniuses." He laughed.

"Maybe…" Cinder laughed in response.

* * *

"_It is amazing to think how the kind actions of one being can affect the lives of so many others. Who knows how things could have turned out if Adam never met Cinder. She could have still been stuck with her abusive trainer."_

"_And what if he never found Rose and gave her a home also? She could have very well perished while wandering that frozen forest. He took on two separate challenges and overcame them to improve the lives of those two individuals."_

"_And look at things now. Thanks to him, three very bright young ones are starting their own live and I am sure that there will be many more to come in the future. It is thanks to humans like Adam that I get to the good side of the human nature."_

Mew floated outside the window as she looked on at the young family. She couldn't help but feel warm inside when she saw how something she created bloomed into something so fruitful. She smiled to herself before drifting away, happy to know that though there were some bad in the world; there was still some good to stand against it.


End file.
